


Stubborn Love

by rocknrollprincess131



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Comedy, Declarations Of Love, Drama, Drama & Romance, Dramedy, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Falling In Love, Family Drama, Friendship/Love, Hurt/Comfort, Love, Love at First Sight, Love/Hate, Post-Loss, Requited Love, Romance, Romantic Comedy, True Love, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-06
Updated: 2016-06-09
Packaged: 2018-02-24 07:06:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 47
Words: 238,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2572568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rocknrollprincess131/pseuds/rocknrollprincess131
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Melody Silverstone, estranged daughter of California Governor Phillip Blake, has lost her potential true love in a tragic accident and fallen into a deep depression.Her brother-in-law Rick Grimes fixes her up with Gareth Mandel, a graphic design yipster genius from San Francisco. Melody can not let her guard down and embrace the gift of their blossoming relationship, therefore making it a "stubborn love". Will they last? Gareth/OC, Rick/Lori, Glenn/Maggie, and Beth/Noah</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Broken Hearts Are Always Pure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Melody reflects on the past six months, from losing her potential true love Aiden to being rescued by porn kings Merle and Daryl Dixon and moving in with her older half sister Lori Grimes, all the while being in a deep depression.

**Hi everybody! Sorry I've been M.I.A. for the past week, a lot has happened! MY San Francisco Giants won the World Series for the 3rd time in 5 seasons! Woo-Hoo! My niece Penelope Sava was born on October 28th at 8:21 pm, 8 pounds, 2 ounces, and I am absolutely in love with this little munchkin, she's precious! So lots of good things to happen! I WILL be updating _Forever Rising Phoenix_ hopefully this week, as well as another chapter of this story!**

**As many of you can agree with me, the whole Gareth/Terminus storyline ended too abruptly and wasn't properly executed, it felt rushed, but this is still the best season yet. Gareth was a character that although incredibly sinister also had such an underlining allure, I just felt like both back stories could have been more in depth. This story will be my next original work outside of FanFiction with my own characters, a lot of this is based off of actual events (like the whole Tony Robbins bit) but since there aren't a lot of stories with Gareth in it, I figured that this would be perfect and I've wanted to do a modern/AU _Walking Dead_ story for a while. I wanted to expand on the supposed hipster aspect lol, I also agreed with Mary Lynn Rajskub on _Talking Dead_ when she said he looked like a Portlandian, but in my story it's San Francisco hipster. I'm really excited to further delve into this! :) Gareth won't be appearing in this story until about the second or third chapter, but be sure to follow it! Lots of other _Walking Dead_ characters will be popping up as well. He will also be appearing in _Forever Rising Phoenix_ in a few chapters. I'm not sure if Melody will pop up in that story, but most likely Delilah will be making a cameo appearance in this one. **

**_DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NOR HAVE ANY AFFILIATIONS WITH STUBBORN LOVE OR THE WALKING DEAD FRANCHISE. ALL PROPERTIES OWNED BY THE LUMINEERS, FRANK DARABONT AND AMC (TELEVISION SERIES), ROBERT KIRKMAN AND TONY MOORE (COMIC BOOK SERIES), RESPECTIVELY. I ONLY OWN MY OWN ORIGINAL IDEAS AND CHARACTERS._ **

**_Chapter One: Broken Hearts Are Always Pure_ **

**_Deerhill Park, Oak Park, California, June 21st, 2012, 3:00 pm._ **

_The first day of summer was notorious for being not only the longest day of the year, but also the hottest, today it was close to hundred degrees outside. Eighteen year old Melody Silverstone wiped the perspiration off her forehead with her pink Buckcherry "Crazy Bitch" sweatband as she neared her destination, Deerhill Park. It was down the street from her house and she needed the walk. Melody had recently lost close to forty pounds, but still had about fifteen more to go before reaching her goal weight, or at least the goal weight for Hollywood's standards. Once she got there, she knew that she'd break into the entertainment industry and be as outstanding of a makeup artist as the legendary Ve Neil. Melody already had the talent and drive to go the distance, except even with something behind the camera, looks still mattered. All of the competition and heat of the masses inspired her to kick it into high gear not only to look good, but to feel good as well. She was starting to wear the skimpy outfits and bikinis like the other girls her age, but once the rest of the weight was gone, she could really go all out._

_Melody looked around the park once she arrived, searching for interesting subjects to photograph as she took her Canon Rebel xsi SLR camera out of her mini pack and placed it around her neck. In addition to makeup, she also dabbled in photography, but she didn't always want to be behind the scenes, she was quite the actress as well._

**_With hard work both physically and career wise, I can be in front of the cameras._ **

_The wild flowers were in full bloom and their colors popped in the sunlight, small children were gallivanting in glee on the playground as their parents watched, a group of teenage boys dominated the basketball court. She decided to focus on the flowers first when she looked over at the baseball field and saw a boy her age practicing hits with a little boy around six or seven. Melody smiled as she strolled over._

" _Aiden? Hey, Aiden!"_

_The older boy turned around and smiled at her. He was about six foot one with light brown hair, amber eyes, and a few light freckles, the silver basketball shorts and black T-shirt he was wearing complimented his muscular body. "Hey, Melody! I almost didn't recognize you." Aiden Auerbach and Melody had known each other since their first day of freshman year at Oak Park High School. They would have deep conversations whenever her had a moment away from his overbearing and clingy girlfriend Kendall who was a cheerleader on the varsity squad, but they were usually sporadic. One day during sophomore year, Kendall made it very clear to Melody that Aiden was hers and that she best be knowing that. Ever since then, Melody steered clear of the couple and their group, which had been the clique of the most popular students, she didn't belong with them, and they all knew it. She only saw Aiden in class or when she photographed his baseball games for the school yearbook and paper, but Kendall had been spot on with her jealousy: Melody had fallen in love with Aiden and never told him, even though her paranoid senses were sure that everybody already knew. Aiden was everything she ever wanted in a boyfriend, but because they were so close, she never felt comfortable revealing her true feelings out of fear of losing the friendship. She smiled as he walked away from the little boy and over to the dugout to meet Melody. "Wow, you look beautiful!"_

_She giggled, praying she wasn't blushing. "Aww, thanks. How are you doing? I haven't seen you since Grad Nite last year!" Melody wrapped her arms around Aiden's neck in a tight hug and noticed he let it linger a bit._

" _I'm great, how are you? How's your family?"_

" _They're fantastic as always, how about yours? How's Kendall?"_

_Aiden kind of grimaced. "They're good, but Kendall and I don't really talk much anymore, she dumped me last year."_

_Melody raised an eyebrow in shock. "What? She did? No way! You guys were, like, **the** dream couple, and you're pretty much perfect, Aiden." She smiled up at him, which he returned._

" _Ha, thanks. Unfortunately, not everything is how it seems on the outside. I'm glad, you're doing well. Have you been working out?"_

" _Yes, yes I have been. I'm pretty close to my goal weight, too." Melody noticed he was checking out her body in the white tank top, pink cropped zip up hoodie, pink sweatpants, and white sneakers that she was wearing._

" _It's definitely been paying off, you look fantastic. Keep up the great work."_

" _Thanks."_

_As the conversation went into a bit of an awkward silence, the little boy called out to him. "Aiden!"_

_Aiden glanced over at the kid. "I'll be right there, Sammy!" He glanced back at Melody. "I'm sorry, but I gotta get back to this lesson. I'm a Little League coach for the time being, until I go to LMU in the fall."_

" _That's awesome! It was really great running into you. Do you want to maybe go to Starbies or something sometime?" Melody couldn't believe she asked that, but she figured now it wasn't a big deal since he was single and they were so close. Aiden knew a lot of her secrets, but there were some she couldn't bear to tell him, like how she and her mom were close to losing their house due to a scam, but maybe now they would actually get together and she could open up to him._

_He nodded. "Yeah, for sure. I'll definitely hit you up. I'm glad to see you, and I'll be seeing you soon, k?"_

" _Sounds good. Bye, Aiden."_

" _Bye, Lyric." Aiden gave her a quick hug before running back to Sammy, leaving Melody with a huge smile on her face._

**_Maybe things will work out in my favor after all. After all those prayers to Aphrodite, Goddess of Love and Beauty, I knew it would pay off! Kendall's loss is my gain._ **

_Melody turned around and walked off, humming a tune to herself before singing "You Can't Hurry Love" by The Supremes._

**_KiK Instant Messenger, Friday, March 14th, 2014, Two Years Later_ **

_12:04 AM UnChAiNeD Melody1212: Hi Aiden! Happy Birthday! Hope your day is marvelous and that all your birthday wishes come true : ) 3_

_9:56 AM Baseballs to the Walls: Hi Melody! Thank you very much! Appreciate the text! Hope all is well_

_1:37 PM UnChAiNeD Melody1212: Of course! Things are going fantastic, thanks, Aiden! I've just been busy, almost done with makeup school. Idk if I ever told you, but you're one of my best friends and I value our friendship._

_3:07 PM Baseballs to the Walls: That's excellent, you were always so talented. Thank you, that means a lot, I feel the same :)_

_3:10 PM Baseballs to the Walls: Hey, are you free on the 30th?_

_6:20 PM UnChAiNeD Melody1212: Thanks, hopefully Hollywood thinks the same way you do lol. The thirtieth? I can't think of anything I'd be doing, I'm free. Why, what's up?_

_6:21 PM Baseballs to the Walls: Of course they will, you're a force to be reckoned with. I was wondering if we could hang out, watch a movie like we always wanted but never got to? I want us to discuss some important things. Nothing bad, it's actually something really wonderful._

_6:22 PM UnChAiNeD Melody1212: Yes, that sounds great! I want to discuss some things with you as well. Shall we say around 5?_

_6:23 PM Baseballs to the Walls: Awesome! Can't wait to see you, Elle. Let's chat soon :)_

_6:24 PM UnChAiNeD Melody1212: Can't wait to see you, too, Aiden! Xoxo_

**_Brentwood, CA, Wednesday, March 26th, 2014, Twelve Days Later_ **

_Melody let out a loud yawn as she mindlessly watched **Chicago P.D.** on the black leather couch in her father's family room, contemplating turning it off and just going to sleep. She had had a very long day with her stepmother Lilly, helping her at her hair salon, then they got a mani-pedi, and after that they came home to have dinner with Melody's father Phillip, where a massive side of tension was served with the main course. He had to go on and on about how she needed to get a job or get married, because he was tired of supporting her by paying for her cell phone, insurance, along with her tuition, books, and supplies for makeup school, which she was completing in two months._

_Phillip had been a shitty father, leaving her and her mother Charlotte for Lilly, whom Charlotte had suspicions that she was his mistress for almost five years despite Phillip denying it. He married Lilly and shortly afterwards they had two daughters, Penny and Meghan. Phillip and his whole family accepted Lilly and the girls immediately, completely isolating themselves from Melody. She was still hurt over it, especially when she called her grandmother and aunt, begging them to please store some of her valuables or if she could sleep on their couches since she and Charlotte lost the house, with both of them making up grandiose excuses before abruptly saying good bye. Even before her parent's divorce, they wanted nothing to do with her. This weekend was the second time she had seen her father all year. They used to go to dinner twice a week until she turned eighteen, but now she only saw him on her birthday and Christmas unless something else came up. Charlotte had tried everything to bring the two together, but because Melody was a square peg that couldn't be forced into a round hole, Phillip gave up on her._

**_He'll never accept me, why am I trying so hard to fit in when I was born to stand out? I shouldn't even be going tomorrow._ **

_The reason why Melody was staying at her father's was because the three of them were leaving in the morning to go to a Tony Robbins' four-day seminar in Los Angeles while her little sisters stayed with Lilly's dad David. Phillip, an avid follower, had lured her with promises of celebrities being there, dropping such names as Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga, but Melody's curiosity got the better of her, and she agreed to go despite her mother's protests that it was a cult. She was really going for the mini vacation, they were staying in a suite at the five star Ritz-Carlton hotel, but she figured she could learn something valuable at the seminar as well._

_With a final yawn, deciding she'd finish the episode over the weekend on Hulu, Melody grabbed the remote control and was about to turn the television off when an image on the screen caught her eye._

**_Hey, that guy looks familiar. Where do I know him from? He kind of looks like Aiden… Wait, it is Aiden!_ **

_Her eyes widened as she read the byline on the bottom of the screen._

**_LMU Student Stabbed to Death_ **

_Melody felt her eyes tearing up as she saw Aiden. At first, she thought it was some kind of sick joke, but that thought was quickly forced out of her mind when the surreal panic took over. She couldn't even hear the television anymore or feel her trembling body, she felt like somebody had punched her in the heart, she couldn't breathe or think straight. All she could do was shake her head._

" _No… no… no… **NNNNOOOO!** "_

_Melody collapsed from the couch to her knees, hysterically sobbing as she buried her face in her hands to drown out the loudness, but it hadn't worked._

" _Melody? Melody, what's the matter?!" Lilly called out to her from upstairs, but Melody ignored her as she grabbed her iPhone, knowing there was one other person who was also watching **Chicago P.D.** at the same time._

" _Hello?"_

_She tried her best to speak clearly, but she couldn't. "M-mom, M-mommy, he's gone, he's gone!"_

" _Honey, slow down I can't hear you! What are you trying to say?"_

_With one gut wrenching wail, Melody spat out the words she thought she'd never say. **"Mommy, that was Aiden! He's dead! He's gone!"** She dropped the phone and continued crying, trembling uncontrollably to the point where she didn't even feel Lilly's hands on her shoulder._

" _Melody, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"_

_Melody didn't answer, all she did was point at the TV as the news began. She was actually hyperventilating and was inconsolable despite Lilly's attempts._

" ** _An LMU student was killed at around 11:15 pm last night leaving a frat party when an unidentified man came up and stabbed the victim twice in the chest and stomach. The victim has now been identified as twenty one year old psychology major Aiden Auerbach from Oak Park, California. Paramedics did everything they could but Auerbach was pronounced D.O.A. upon arriving at UCLA Hospital. The suspect has been identified as Jon Negen, a supposed Krypt member, but has yet to be taken into custody. Loyola Marymount University plans to hold a memorial service…"_**

_She couldn't hear anything else after that, she couldn't watch a girl from their high school English class being interviewed or one of his fraternity brothers tearing up in front of the camera. All Melody knew was that it was over. The one boy that she had wanted to be with more than anything, that she wanted a future with, was gone forever. All her dreams of what their life could have been like together flashed before her eyes and her heart sank like Acme anvil falling from the top of a building to land on a Looney Tunes character. Melody knew right then and there that she would never find anybody to love as much as she had loved Aiden…_

**_ALMOST SIX MONTHS LATER…_ **

"HHHUUUU!"

I shot up from where I was laying down on the floor, gasping for air, the events that swirled in my mind just now felt too real. The last times I ever saw or spoke to Aiden, and then the night when I found out about his unfortunate death. Even the way I found out, seeing it on the news, has left me traumatized. Why didn't anybody tell me? We have mutual friends, people knew we were close… or did they? Maybe I wasn't as important to him as I thought, maybe it was all in my head, I don't even know. It's been six months and I still can't figure out how and _why_ this all had to happen, why the life of such a wonderful person had to be tragically cut short. Why couldn't it have been one of the bastards or bitches that made my high school experience a living hell? Why did it have to be _anybody_ at all?

The hysterical sobs were followed by half an hour of throwing up, I was so distraught I had to take one of Lilly's Xanax. She tried really hard to comfort me, but I was just too desolate. The first thing I said to my mom when I calmed down was that I never got to tell Aiden my true feelings, and I could hear the sadness in her voice when she told me she knew. All I wanted to do was go home and crawl under the covers, but I forced myself to go through with that Tony Robbins seminar. In the end, being out of the house was the best thing for me. I tried my hardest to focus and absorb everything in the lecture, but all I could think about was Aiden. How we had the same taste in music, that he would laugh at my stupid impersonations, he even called me by my nicknames which were only reserved for my family and closest friends. I was in limbo between wanting to believe it was false and knowing it was real.

My dad, being the controlling and heartless asshole that he is, was less than pleased with my emotional state of mind. Instead of offering soothing words like Lilly had tried, it was "He's still going to be dead when you go home on Sunday, so there's no point in crying about it. You should just focus on everything Tony has to say." And "When was the last time Aiden came over or took you out to dinner? If you had been the one who died, he wouldn't be as upset as you are." Great words to say to your grieving daughter, huh? It got worse from there. When I refused to do the glorified "Fire Walk", he acted like I was starting World War III. While I respect anybody's decision whether or not they want to do it, I'm not going to burn the bottom of my feet walking barefoot across boiling hot coals to prove I can conquer my fears. It only got worse from then on…

On the third day of the seminar, there was an activity called "The Dickens Effect", where you imagine what your life will be like in five, ten, and twenty years if you continue to do all the bad things that you are currently doing. The image on the jumbo screens was a typical starry galaxy while this creepy, ominous music played alongside Tony's pre-recorded lecture. It really had a tremendous effect on the audience, people were wailing and crying hysterically, screaming, and the reactions were just too much for me, making me terrified of the realization that Aiden was dead and my dream of him was over. Lilly had gone back to the hotel earlier with a migraine and my dad was too absorbed with the exercise that he didn't even notice when I grabbed my backpack and walked sideways out of the row before running down the aisle. The seminar was at the Los Angeles Convention Center, and of course, my dad had to have front row seats to be in on the action. I'm not an avid runner, I prefer to powerwalk/jog due to my large breast size, but in this instance, I ran like I never have before, like Katniss in _The Hunger Games_ , pushing past people to get to the exit. I was finally there when one of the volunteers grabbed my arm before I could make it to the stairs. He was a bald, portly man with round spectacles, and an angered expression on his face.

 

 

" _Where do you think you're going? You're not allowed to leave, it's against the rules."_

_I squirmed, trying to run off, but his grip tightened. "Let me go! I have to get out of here, this is too much for me! My friend just died, I can't be in there right now!" I tried everything to hold back the tears that were threatening to escape from my eyes. I'm a strong girl, I've been through a lot of bullshit in my little life, but in that moment, I just wanted to let go, to give in to my pain and cry._

_The man's facial expression softened slightly, but not his hold. "Your son died? Don't you have any other children?"_

_I shot him a confused look, for he had obviously misheard me. The music and the wails were so loud we were having to shout back and forth. I shook my head. "What? No! I'm only twenty years old, I don't have any kids yet! My friend died, his name was Aiden and he was stabbed to death three days ago."_

_He got a nasty look on his face. "Don't you have any other friends? Are you going to cry over your one friend for the rest of your life?"_

_Hearing his spiteful words ignited something within me, making my rage increase. I was already being held against my will, and now this total stranger was going to be an absolute asshole to me? No way. I shot him a nasty glare before shouting **"YES, I AM!"** as I raised my arm up, finally breaking free. Unfortunately, I had yanked a little too hard from the adrenaline rush and he stumbled backwards, but I didn't care, he deserved it. I took off running down the stairs when I heard the jerk commanding two other volunteers to go after me, and I picked up the pace as I heard their footsteps coming closer. As I sprinted down every other step, I tried to come up with a plan of action. The hotel was only a five minute walk, but I didn't want to be running from these freaks the whole way, I needed something now. At the bottom level of the convention center, there was a big black and red banner that hung over one of the rooms._

**_The World-Famous AdultCon, #1 Adult Star Expo In The World_ **

**_Yes! This is the perfect place to hide, they won't come after me in here!_ ** _I ran in to find that it was exactly as I expected it to be. Rows and rows of booths selling sex toys, techno music playing, scantily clad models of both genders walking around, fans gawking over porn stars. I bent over to catch my breath, only to look over my shoulder to see the two volunteers. "Damn it!" I said a little too loudly, attracting the attention of an older gentleman who had been watching me since I walked in, as well as a male porn star surrounded by a group of bleached blonde silicone bimbos._

" _Everything alright, darlin'?" A husky Southern accent called out._

_I looked over to see the man approaching me. He was about six feet tall and in good shape with his head shaved in the back and thinning grey and white hair on top, along with grey and white facial hair to match, dark blue eyes, a wide nose, and a square jaw, he looked like he had been a nice looking guy when he was my age, and he dressed well in a loose black suit and a white Hanes tanktop. I assumed he was probably in his late forties to early fifties, and there was something about him that seemed so familiar, and he looked genuinely concerned. I shook my head and pointed outwards. "No, I left the Tony Robbins convention upstairs and these freaks are trying to force me back. Please, you have to help me!"_

_The two volunteers walked in, an African American woman named Jacqui and a gangly guy named Jim._

" _Sweetie, you have to come back with us, we just want to love you." Jacqui said, smiling with a glassy eyed stare._

_I shook my head. "No, I don't want to! This is a cult and I don't want any part of it! Just leave me alone!"_

_Jim spoke up next. "If you don't come back, we'll have to tell your father."_

_Hearing those words sent me into a panic, knowing if I didn't listen to them, I'd end up being ultimately cut off by my father._

**_What am I going to do? My mom is jobless, we live with Grandma, I'm screwed._ **

" _I believe the kid said she doesn't want to go back there, so why don't y'all head back to the "Kumbaya" bullshit that you have up there." The older man stood by my side._

" _No, sir, we have specific instructions to bring her back, this doesn't concern you. Her father is a very powerful man."_

" _Merle, what the hell is going on over here?" The other man that saw me when I arrived walked over, also having a husky Southern accent. He was taller than the man now identified as Merle, with short brown hair, the bangs covering his blue eyes, facial stubble, a more pointed jaw and was incredibly toned, his arms alone had me drooling. I recognized who he was right away, Daryl "Dix On" Dixon, one of the top porn stars in the adult entertainment industry. Everybody knew who he was, whether they watched pornos or not. Daryl was considered to play the male lead in **Fifty Shades of Grey** and dated Amanda Bynes, they had just wrapped filming on a Darren Aronofsky movie that they had done together._

_Merle looked over at him. "This nice young gal comes racing in here and these two freaks tell me if I don't give her back, I'm gonna be in trouble because her father is a very powerful man. Can you believe that shit, baby brother?" He cackled before turning back to the volunteers. "The girl is staying, she doesn't want to go back. I think it's best you leave now, or we're gonna have a **real** problem."_

_Daryl stood next to him, both folded their arms across their chests and shot them menacing glares as Daryl's posse of bleached blonde bimbos got in front of me in protection mode. The volunteers took off in fear, making the brothers throw their head back and laugh. "What a bunch of pansy ass muthafuckers, they can dish it out, but they can't take it." Daryl said._

_I was in awe over what had just happened, it was pretty bad ass on their parts. "Wow, thanks so much. Seriously, that was awesome."_

_Merle smiled over at me, giving me the creeps just a little bit, but he seemed cool. "It's no problem, young lady. Now, why don't you tell your new best friend Merle why they were chasing you?"_

 

 

Merle really did save me that day, I don't know what would have happened if I didn't run in the expo, and it's not something I'd like to think about. After the volunteers left, Merle got me a Green Apple Rockstar and Daryl took a break from his fans, they both sat with me and listened to my story. My life story about my parent's divorce and my dad's new family, how because of my emotional issues my mom couldn't get a normal job, leading to her finally getting one in real estate loans that unbeknownst to her turned out to be a Ponzi scheme by her business partner, who was the cause of us losing our house and life savings, how our lawyers screwed the case up and the asshole that ruined our lives pretty much walked away without paying the less than desired settlement we received, that we now live with my crazy grandma, and how Aiden died. It was so overwhelming that I couldn't help crying a little, but the Dixon brothers were very compassionate. Merle even called my mom for me and filled her in on everything that happened, and as life would have it, it turned out they knew each other. Before meeting my dad, my mom was a production assistant and casting director for Vivid Entertainment, one of the most prestigious pornographic production companies in the industry. Since Merle was a well known producer, they had worked together several times, it was rumored that Merle was going to buy out Playboy Magazine one day. My mom felt better, albeit still freaked out over what happened to me, except Merle assured her I was fine. In fact, he even offered both of us jobs: her old job behind the scenes and a makeup job for me after seeing pictures of all my SFX makeup projects from school. Things definitely turned around for us, but not with my dad.

I told him and Lilly that I thought Tony Robbins was nothing but a cult and they flipped a switch, even going as far as my dad siding with the volunteer that assaulted me, which was so typical of him. No matter what, my father would never accept me for who I was, and why should he? His new wife has given him not one, but _two_ perfect daughters, he doesn't need to have anything to do with me. Besides, I'm sure his political status would plummet, it's why I was M.I.A. during the election.

Four years ago, my father, Phillip David Blake, was elected The Governor of California. He retired Woodbury Communications, his printing and graphic design business, which my brother-in-law now runs. My birth name is Melody Jasmine Blake, but I switched to my mother's maiden name of Silverstone to avoid my father's position at all costs. It's worked for the most part, but you can't pick your family and you can't help who you fall in love with.

It's been six months since his passing and I'm still a nervous wreck, losing Aiden really shook me to the core. I almost didn't wish him a "Happy Birthday", I had seen a picture of him on Facebook with a girl and got jealous. Looking back, I'm glad I did, I just didn't know it would be the last time we would ever speak to each other, and whatever he wanted to tell me when we hung out would forever remain a mystery, which only intensified my agony.

I heavily sighed and looked over at one of the mirrored panels inside the pyramid I was laying down in. My dad had sent me this healing pyramid a month after the seminar to sit in and focus on the positive, therefore curing all my worries and whatever else was problematic. A magical pyramid healing everything? The CDC should seriously look into this shit! If he thinks sitting under a pyramid will make me normal, he's crazier than I thought.

I studied myself in the mirror. I hate to sound full of myself, but I don't think I'm considered an ugly girl by any means, except right now I look like the walking dead. My incredibly thick and usually shiny honey brown hair that went down to my waist was oily at the top and scraggly at the bottom. The blonde highlights had grown out to right below my shoulder blades, giving me a trashy ombre look almost as bad as Gabrielle Anwar's character Fiona Glenanne on the last season of _Burn Notice_. My once luminous almond shaped light green-grey eyes now had dark circles underneath, they were puffy and red from over crying, along with my face because I can't stop picking the shit out of it. Skin picking is an equivalent to cutting, and I'd rather have pox marks than lines, the former was starting to become visible to my naked eye. Luckily, they were pretty small and I was hoping they would fade after a microdermabrasion facial or two. Thanks to the damn psychotropics that Dr. Milton Mamet put me on, my teeth were discolored and my lips were also chapped. Cutting to the chase, I look like I was demolished by a tornado, this depression was consuming me. I know I'm strong enough to pull myself out of it, but I just feel so lost and empty inside.

All of a sudden, I heard footsteps softly sinking into the living room carpet. I gazed back up at the ceiling, not even having to look to see it was my older sister. "Hey, Melo. How are you doing?" Lori asked.

My three sisters are another story. Lori is my older half sister, we have the same mother. Her father and my mother got divorced when she was eight years old, Mom remarried Phillip, and then when Lori was twelve I was born. Even though we're twelve years apart, we're actually pretty close. Penny and Meghan are my half sisters, Penny just turned twelve in August and Meghan turned seven in May. Honestly, I absolutely adore my half sisters, it's not their fault that my dad favors them over me. It's his fault, and it's also his fault why we aren't closer. Dad says all my issues are a bad influence on them, which is totally not true. I know better than to have an "episode" with the girls around, but he doesn't believe me. I honestly think my love life and my overall psyche would dramatically improve if my dad would just embrace my unique quirks and help me improve myself instead of trying to mold me into his view of perfection. According to my father, any emotions other than happiness are weak. You're weak if you're sad, weak if you're angry, and you're absolutely useless if you're sick. Nobody- not my mom or Lori or the few friends I have or any of the guys I've dated before- understands why I so desperately seek his approval, and some days I'm not even sure either.

After that whole Tony Robbins fiasco and Aiden's death, I had a bit of a nervous breakdown. My depression hit an all time high, I was close to suicide, but I'm too much of a chicken to slit my wrists, which I know seems like a contradiction since I would have no problem getting a tattoo. The timing couldn't have been worse, I was two projects away from graduating makeup school. My professor was more than understanding and allowed me to present my finals via Skype, but I did force myself to attend the graduation ceremony. Other than that, I barely left the house or my room except to go to the bathroom down the hall or when my best friends Maggie, Glenn, Beth, Tara, or Stefon would drag me out to a rave or a club or the movies, anything for me to get out of my funk. I spent most of my days in bed crying, the only time I would actually smile was whenever I watched _The Big Bang Theory._ I moved out of my grandma's house in Simi Valley (where my insane uncle lives and I was sick of sharing a bed with my mom at twenty years old) and moved in with Lori, my brother in law Rick, and my fourteen year old nephew Carl at their house in Calabasas back in May. They offered to help my mom with money, but she was both too proud _and_ too embarrassed, especially since she was unable to pay back the $25,000 of mine she had to use to pay the mortgage, which lasted for a year until we lost the house. It wasn't her fault, the guy was a crook, but I am still so angry at her. I had big plans for that money, and because of some asshole stealing it, they're on the backburner. I'm grateful that my dad at least kept his promise and put me through school so I could pursue my passion for makeup. Now, I can't do anything with it until my overall mental health improved, other than the work for Vivid, which was only on an as needed basis, but the pay was pretty good so it almost didn't matter.

Merle definitely helped get us back on our feet though. My mom was able to rent a modestly priced three-bedroom apartment in Woodland Hills and move all our belongings out of storage, but I still wanted to stay with Lori. Since Mom's malpractice suit against our lawyers was still pending, I didn't want to be around having to hear the same story over and over again about how that bastard stole our money and how our lawyers screwed things up so badly. Even though she has a job, it's just too traumatizing and gives me a large amount of anxiety. When all this happened, people told me to leave, but I couldn't because it would have been selfish. Now that I actually left, I didn't want to go back, maybe this was the push I needed to grow. My mom and I are still close. We talk all the time and go to lunch, I see her at Vivid every once in a while when I'm called in to do makeup, but it was just time for us to live our own lives. People used to say that we were _too_ attached, except when you go through the hell we did, losing everything and sinking to lower than low, you have to stick together.

"Hi, Lori. I'm depressed and deranged."

She heavily sighed, walking closer to the pyramid. "No, you're not. It's only temporary, I know you can pull yourself out of it."

I scoffed. "Yeah, that's yet to be seen. You should tell my dad and Dr. Mamet, maybe they'll take _your_ word for it." My dad even liked Lori better than me, and sometimes that hurt despite the fact that she wanted nothing to do with him. There were moments when I was really jealous of her for having it all: Married to a fantastic guy, a wonderful child, a lovely house in the suburbs. Everything I dreamed of having with Aiden, she already had with Rick, and there were times where I couldn't help but think that she took it all for granted. Lori sat down in the pyramid, leaning against one of the slanted beams as she stretched her long legs out. We were so different, some times it was hard to believe we actually shared the same DNA. Lori is positive and upbeat, I have a tendency to get a bit too cynical and negative despite my best efforts not to be. Lori is 5"9, only an inch shorter than her husband, and I'm barely 5"4. She is naturally slim while I'm curvier. Little things that make a big difference, yet we still manage to hear how much we look alike.

"I hate to be the one to tell you this, but your dad is an asshole." We look over at each other and just burst into laughter. It felt so good to laugh, it should be moments like this that pull me out of my depression, but I guess I have to make them happen, they won't just present themselves all the time.

"Yes, tell me something I don't already know. I need a makeover, I look like shit. Seriously, it's hard to believe I was ever beautiful. How can I face the world when I can't even face myself?"

Lori rolled her eyes and put her bare feet up against my striped sock clad ones. "Hey, that's my baby sister you're insulting, so you best be stopping." We simultaneously lifted our feet up, creating a pyramid. It was something she did with me when I was younger, and even now it still made me smile.

"Your sister is a depressed and crazy loser."

I watched her smile fade away and sadness appear on her face. "I know you're in a lot of pain right now, but I do believe you will get better. We all know how much Aiden meant to you, we feel your pain and we're here for you. You're not alone, Melody, you're surrounded by so much love. Me, Mom, Rick, Carl, your friends, your little sisters, even your dad." I opened my mouth to speak, but she cut me off. "I know, I know. I just said he's an asshole, but he does love you. One day, you two will fix the relationship, I'm confident about that, like I'm confident that you'll overcome this dark period."

I nodded, knowing she was right, but why couldn't I believe it? Maybe I have Munchusen Syndrome and I'm getting some kind of thrill off of the pity, that I like it. There's _no way_ I like being depressed, it's just taking longer than I'd like to pull through. "Hopefully sooner rather than later. At this rate with all the crying I've done, I'm going to have to start getting Botox injections now, and I'll be able to pay for it with the money I've made purifying my tears into water for third world countries."

Lori smirked, even I laughed at that one. "See, you've already got that sense of humor back. Are you up for dinner tonight?"

"Yeah, sure. Whose all coming again besides Mom and Grams?"

"Shane and Andrea, they'll be here in an hour or so."

"Oh, joy. Two couples, me, Mom, our crazy grandma, and Carl. Lovely." I looked over at her and shrugged. "Just kidding. How are things between Shane and Andrea? I haven't seen her in so long." Andrea was a civil rights attorney and one of Lori's best friends, she was pretty much family, she even gave me my first job out of high school as a receptionist at the law firm she's a partner for.

"Pretty good. They've only been dating for almost a month, but it feels like longer. I'm glad that Shane finally decided to get serious with somebody."

Just hearing his name made my skin crawl. Shane Walsh, Rick's best friend since they were in preschool, is a womanizing, conceited, asshole. He wasn't like it all the time, it only seemed like it. "Yeah, I'm glad, too." It's crazy how people get something they don't want while people that want something so badly get it taken away before there's even a chance to get it.

**_Can't keep thinking like that, Melody, or you'll never get better._ **

"I'm gonna take a shower, I'll be ready by the time everybody gets here." I got up, reaching my hand out to Lori to help her to her feet, who gave me a tight hug before I left.

"I love you, Melody. Please, come back to us."

I hugged her back, feeling my eyes well up again. "I love you, too, Lori. I'm trying." I turned around on the ball of my foot, walking out of the room and to the stairs, allowing my tears to fall when I was in the safety of the shower, drowned out by the flowing water . It seemed like all I ever did was cry. I was swallowed whole by an abyss, running around in the dark looking for the exit of light, but whenever I was close, something else would pull me back in. I needed some kind of an epiphany at this point, a miracle of sorts, but it seemed like I had to be the one making things happen, not anybody else. All I could do was take it one day at a time.

**_What did we think of the first chapter? Reviews are encouraged! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW AND SPREAD THE WORD, NO FLAMES!_ **


	2. Fall, Crumble, Stand Tall, Face It All

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lori ponders on how to cheer up Melody, and she might have just come up with the perfect solution. An inaccurate condolence from Andrea throws Melody for a loop. Shane reveals hidden, gruesome details to Aiden's death, which Rick swears that Melody must never know for fear of her depression worsening. PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! NO FLAMES!

**Hi everybody! Loving the positivity so far surrounding the story! Some more _Walking Dead_ characters will be appearing in this chapter, as well as lots of secrets! I kind of went en route with the comics on what happened to Aiden, I thought it would be a nice bonus for the story. The latest chapter of _Forever Rising Phoenix_ I plan to have up tomorrow, so I've got a busy weekend! :). Also, this is my first attempt at multiple first person narrative, so don't be too hard on me! Lol ;P. Gareth is mentioned in this chapter, and as you can tell, he is quite accomplished. I can't wait to delve further into his character, he'll be making his appearance very soon! :)**

**_DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NOR HAVE ANY AFFILIATIONS WITH SKYFALL OR THE WALKING DEAD. ALL PROPERTIES OWNED BY ADELE AND PAUL EPWORTH, FRANK DARABONT AND AMC (TELEVISION SERIES), ROBERT KIRKMAN AND TONY MOORE (COMIC BOOK SERIES), RESPECTIVELY. I ONLY OWN MY OWN ORIGINAL IDEAS AND CHARACTERS._ **

**_Chapter Two: Fall, Crumble, Stand Tall, Face It All_ **

**_LORI_ **

I heavily sighed as soon as Melody walked out of the room, knowing that she had been on the verge of tears. It broke my heart to see her like this, all of ours, actually. The only person who seemed not to care at all was Phillip, and that aggravated me. Why couldn't he put aside his egotistical and domineering ways for just a weekend, if not a day? To tell his daughter that he loved her and it was ok to cry because she was sad and that it would pass? Melody needed her father, it was bad enough that Mom never seemed to keep a stable relationship. At least she had Rick, Merle, and Daryl as male figures to look up to, and while the Dixon brother's lifestyle is a bit questionable, they've always shown how much they genuinely care about Melody in the short time they've known her.

She used to always have a smile on her face that would light up the room, she never let it show how much pain she was really in from her problems growing up, but everything changed after Aiden died. Now, we were lucky if one of us got her to smile at all. I just wish there was something I could do to help bring her out of this devastating depression. I've had long conversations with her friends about it, and they aren't sure what to do, either. They've done their best by getting her out of the house, but it seemed like something was missing. Maybe I should ask my friend Paula to look into getting her a pass for _The Big Bang Theory_ , since her husband works for CBS and Melody loves that show. It is pretty funny, even Rick, Carl, and I have gotten hooked on it, Melody and Carl have matching "Bazinga" shirts, the catchphrase of Jim Parsons' character on the show, Dr. Sheldon Cooper.

Except there had to be something more than that, she needed a fresh start romantically, but I didn't know too many people her age and her friends have already tried to fix her up, but I suddenly thought of a potential wildcard.

There was a young man in his twenties that works for Woodbury. He's only been with the company almost a year, but from what Rick and Shane have told me, he's brought in a lot of business and made them a lot of money, not to mention that he kind of looks like Aiden.

**_He'd be perfect for Melody!_ **

Smiling, I walked upstairs to get ready, reminding myself to ask Rick what he knew about him after everybody left tonight.

**_MELODY_ **

**_AN HOUR LATER_ **

There was nothing like a hot shower to put you at ease. Being a fire sign like Sagittarius never fit me, I'm a natural water baby. Always in a pool, taking too long of showers, I just felt so peaceful surrounded by water. Like it would wash away my issues and cleanse my soul, better than that damn pyramid, although that was a great cure for insomnia.

I looked at myself in the mirror, my hair blown dry, fresh makeup applied to cover my blemishes, dressed in a black velour Juicy Couture outfit. Juicy outfits seemed to be the only thing that fit right now, since I've gained some of the weight back thanks to the damn antidepressants that Dr. Mamet prescribed, I didn't have the confidence to squeeze into my True Religions right now.

In general though, my body shape is a cross between an hourglass or a lollipop at the top and the rest is more banana shaped, I've always felt oddly misproportioned. My legs are long and hyper extensive, which sometimes makes my thighs look bigger than they are, my waist is long and goes inward, which makes it look like I have love handles, my hips are too low, and my 40DD breasts that I've had since I was thirteen are way too big for my frame, they also make me slightly round shouldered at times, and I was starting to get paranoid that my butt somehow got bigger despite everybody telling me that it was still small and fit my frame. They also tell me that my weight gain isn't too noticeable, that I just need to tone up, but I just feel like I'm a whale. I recently found stretch marks on my stomach and hips, one day they're barely there and the next they're bright red and purple. I know I'll need lots of laser work to get rid of them. Sometimes I wrap my stomach up in Saran wrap and wear shaper tank tops over them to hold in the chubbiness, like right now, in addition to wearing a back posture brace.

This has further messed with my self-esteem. I've always thought of myself as "scurvy", skinny but curvy in the right places, even when I had my forty pounds of baby fat, now I just feel disgusting.

**_Maybe if you would have lost the weight earlier, Aiden would have dated you, fat ass._ **

**_No, that's not it._ **

**_Yes, it is._ **

**_NO, IT'S NOT!_ **

**_YES, IT IS! PORKY PORKY PORKY! OINK OINK OINK!_ **

A knock at the door pulled me from my dueling thoughts. "Melody? Can I come in?"

"Yes." I turned around, smiling to see my brother-in-law Rick Grimes in the doorway. "Hi, Rick!"

He smiled at me, his cerulean blue eyes dancing. "How are things today?"

"Fine, I guess. Not so much crying, which is good. Although, I think I'm going to need Botox soon." I walked up closer to him and squinted, pointing to my eyes and forehead. "See, look. Bags under my eyes and crow's feet, and there's some lines in my forehead. Time for those injections."

Rick started laughing and rolled his eyes. "You're crazy for thinking that, Melody. No Botox for you until forty, if not ever. You're twenty years old for crissakes!" He ruffled my hair, which made me laugh.

"There's that smile. You ready to come down?"

"Yes, I am, and by the way, I'll be twenty one in a few months."

"I know, I can't believe it. It feels like just yesterday you were learning to walk! What do you want to do for your birthday?"

I'm not gonna lie, I've had a bit of a crush on Rick since I was a little girl, which sounds deeply disturbed since he's known me my whole life and is pretty much like the older brother I never had and always wanted. I couldn't help it, he's just so kind and handsome with his easy going demeanor, intelligence, blue eyes, short brown curly hair, and he had a body that even most guys my age would kill for. Rick was everything I wanted the man of my dreams to be, his one flaw was that he was a bit too short for my liking, only 5"10. He and Lori kind of have a Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman thing going on, she can't wear too high of heels. Since I'm already so short, I love my heels super high, and whomever I end up with needs to be over six feet. Aiden was six foot one and as close to perfect as I thought a guy could be, the next best thing to Rick. I've always been such a hopeless romantic, it's why my heart is hurting so badly. My friends have set me up with a few guys, but it never went anywhere. I get kind of picky, but aren't all girls? I wonder if I'll ever find somebody that truly understands me…

"I'm not sure, but I'll get back to you about it. How was your day?" I asked him as we walked down the hall. There were times when I thought that maybe Rick liked me, too, but that just proved I was further out of my mind than I thought.

"Good. Busy, but good."

"I can't believe you went into work on a Sunday. Then again, anything to avoid those God awful pancakes my sister makes. If I had a dollar for every flour clump I found…"

He smirked, elbowing me affectionately. "Hey, she tries."

"They're _pancakes_ , Rick! What's to screw up? She should just let me make them, maybe it will rub off on her?"

"Maybe. Anyways, I had to go in today. The _Big Hero 6_ merchandise is being released this week, and _Penguins of Madagascar_ is after that." Rick and his best friend Shane used to be cops for the L.A.P.D. until ten years ago when Rick was shot during a bust in South Central and ended up in a coma for six months. It was a miracle that he came out at all, and when he woke up, he had enough of that life. At twenty four years old with a wife and a young child, he couldn't let them down like that. Rick and Shane were college graduates with Bachelor's Degrees in Business from UCSD, but decided to pursue a career in law enforcement until the economy was improved to open up a business. Needless to say, my dad was intrigued, so he decided to take Rick under his wing and show him the ropes of the printing and graphic design business.

Now, ten years later, Rick and Shane had turned Woodbury Communications from a Silicone Valley start up to an international company, taking it beyond what my dad ever dreamed of. They had had lots of success in the past year landing an account with Disney, which was all thanks to this boy wonder from San Francisco. Woodbury had been after Disney since my dad was in charge, and Wonder Boy swayed them in less than twenty minutes. Posters, packaging for the toys and accessories, billboards, etc. The printing for _Frozen_ alone were amongst the company's highest sales, and following _Guardians of the Galaxy_ , they had _Big Hero 6_ , which was expected to be as successful as _Frozen_. According to Rick, Wonder Boy had suggested they reprint the Marvel Comics. Since Marvel and Disney are merged, they were included as a tie in with the Woodbury contract, and that sent their profits through the roof. He also convinced Rick and Shane to add a television and merchandise department to expand the company. That was pretty cool, because Rick has been bringing home a bunch of toys for Carl and me to test. All I've been hearing about was this kid for the better part of a year, he's obviously a genius, Shane even went as far as to call him "Steve Jobs, Jr." which was quite the compliment. I think his name is Garrett or Gareth, I can't remember and we've never met. He wasn't at the company Christmas party last year and every time I'm at the office he's never around, but his design partner Martin is, who asks me out whenever I stop by despite telling him "No" repeatedly.

Martin was one of the last people my dad hired before going into politics, and while he's a good worker, I'm convinced he's a sexual deviant or something. He always gave off a creepy vibe, leering at me, purposely finding ways to feel up against me in the elevator or in the hallway. I call him "Martin the Moron" like "Marvin The Martian", because he pretty much is that, just a moron, but he's made a lot of money for the business, so he's not going anywhere any time soon. Even though my dad signed everything off to Rick, I still stopped by once a month at the offices in Chatsworth to make sure everything was going well and running smoothly, so it's odd that I haven't meet Garrett/Gareth whatever his name is. Although, I've seen his work and I'm very impressed, hiring him was one of the best decisions that Rick and Shane could have made for Woodbury. Only the employees that have been working there before 2010 know that I'm Phillip Blake's daughter. I know he didn't want the company to be left to me when he died, and Rick felt bad about that, so he changed it to where if anything happened to either him or Shane that I would take over and show Carl the ropes when he got older. I think if it were up to my dad, I'd never get a dime. Who knows how long he'll pay for my insurance and cellphone for? I'm lucky he kept his promise to buy me a car and I have a company gas card, but there's something he's hiding. He always told my mom that if anything happened to him that Lily knew what to give me. I'm not sure how much I trust her to keep me in the loop with everything and to not screw me over royally to benefit my sisters, so I've been putting calls into estate lawyers for the past year. It's pathetic that at twenty years old, I have to go through a tedious ordeal to secure that I'm still my father's daughter.

"Eh, I guess you're off the hook with that. It's a huge project, Carl and I are stoked for it to come out, we think Baymax is just freaking rad. Are you scoring tickets for the premiere?"

"I'll see what I can do, Melo."

"Nice! Seriously though, you work waaaay too much, Rick. When are we going to take that vacation?" Rick, Lori, Carl, my mom and I have been talking for years about all of us taking a week long vacation, but the timing never seemed to be in our favor.

"I don't know, maybe this year if everything gets completed on time. It's had a full workload with all the new accounts we've been landing, but I'll see what I can do. I think we're all overdue for a vacation." Rick always put needs before wants, it's why he was such a great provider, but he also made sure to devote himself to his family other than financially, which is why he was home at six every night and never missed a baseball game of Carl's.

"Hi! It's so great to see you, you look fantastic!"

We looked over the staircase railing to see Lori at the front door, greeting Andrea with a huge hug as Shane walked in behind her.

Rick smiled. "Ahh, look who's here! Hello, everybody." He walked down the stairs as Andrea and Shane looked up at him, I chose to stay back, hoping to slink my way past the creeper without being noticed.

"Shane, I haven't seen you in so long. What, three hours?" Rick asked, pulling Shane in for a hug, making them laugh.

"You can't get enough of me, man, I'm irresistible." Shane smirked.

"Keep dreaming. Hi, Andrea."

"Hi, Rick." They each gave each other a kiss on the cheek before Rick turned around and motioned to me.

"Elle, come on down."

**_DAMN IT! MY PLAN WAS RUINED!_ **

"Yeah, ok." I began walking down the stairs, seeing a salacious look in Shane's eyes.

"Hey, Melody. You're looking good." He shot me a wink, and I could feel myself shivering with the creeps.

"Hi." I tried to keep my cool, but just being around him made me break out in a cold sweat.

"Oh, my God! Melody!" Andrea pushed past Rick and met me in the middle of the stairs, tightly embracing me. Even though I've known her for years and I'm usually an affectionate person, for some reason her hug seemed out of character and made me uncomfortable.

"Hi, Andrea."

She pulled back, holding onto my shoulders, with a sad look on her face. "Melody, I am so, so sorry about your boyfriend, Aiden. You two were such a cute couple, it's an absolute tragedy what happened."

My weakly attempted smile now faded, and I could have sworn I saw Lori frantically shaking her head at Andrea all the while she was talking to me, mouthing "No." and swiping her hand across her throat. The foyer was so silent that I could hear the sprinklers going off next door. I know it hadn't been intentional and that she probably was provided false information, but my mind began swirling with the thought of Aiden being brutally stabbed to death. I walked backwards out of Andrea's hold and turned around, going up the stairs and heading back to my room, ignoring the calls behind me.

**_RICK_ **

"Melody? Melody? God, damn it!" I was so annoyed that I slapped a bronze sculpture off the foyer counter, smashing it to pieces.

"Rick!" Lori scolded, Shane and Andrea in supposed shock.

I looked over at my wife, knowing that I hadn't meant to startle everybody with my outburst, but I was frustrated. "Lori, we just got her out of her room!"

Andrea looked at us with guilt. "I'm so sorry, I thought you told me they were dating, Lori." I'm sure she meant well, but Andrea was one of those people that talked first and thought later. Maybe it's why she was such a successful civil rights lawyer, but it proved to be disastrous outside of a courtroom.

She shook her head. "No, I said that he told her they had important things to discuss, and maybe it could lead to them dating."

I huffed, exasperated. "This is totally going to set her back now."

"Hey, it's better that she doesn't know the truth about what really happened to him."

We all looked over at Shane, puzzled looks on our faces. "What do you mean?" I asked.

Shane heavily sighed and looked down, putting his hands on his hips as he finally looked up at us again. "Aiden Auerbach wasn't stabbed at a party, that's just the story the L.A.P.D. told the press. He was captured off the street and beaten to death with a barbed wire bat. His skull was crushed in, one his eyes popped out, broken jaw and teeth. That wasn't all. He was beaten so badly he was almost unrecognizable. The mother was so traumatized she gave herself a stroke, and it took the mortician a week to fix him up, it was pretty horrific."

All the color from Lori's face drained and she gasped before clinging on to me, crying into my shirt. I could feel my own eyes watering as well. We had all met Aiden several times, at Melody's birthday parties and on their graduation day, he even came over here one time with some friends to hang out with Melody and practice hits with Carl. He was an exceptional young man, and my stomach was sent into a lurch over something so ghastly happening to an innocent boy.

Aiden was raised in a Jewish family, just like Melody and Lori, and in the Jewish religion, an open casket is prohibited. Even if it weren't, they couldn't have considering the amount of damage that had been done. Melody was too distraught to attend Aiden's funeral. With all the cliquey popular kids there, it would have been like walking into the lion's den. She had had such a rough time in high school, those were the last people she wanted to be around, so I took her to the cemetery a few weeks later while Lori and Charlotte sent flowers to the family. After hearing what Shane just told us, for her own benefit, Melody could _never_ know the truth about how heinous Aiden's death really was. I rubbed Lori's shoulder, both of us looking over at Shane.

"How… Why?"

"Leon and Lambert showed me the crime scene photos one night, said the kid's parents paid off the L.A.P.D. and hired a P.R. guy to give a different story to the news." Leon Basset and Lambert "Lam" Kendal were two co-workers of ours that worked in Unit 143 while Shane and I were in Unit 134. Now, they're Unit 162 and since the two of us left the force, Leon and Lam have really succeeded in crime scene investigations, which was surprising because the two of them were pretty dense in general. "As far as "why", I don't know. There are some sick people in the world, that's why. There was blood on his hands that wasn't his own, so he did try to put up a fight, that was a brave move."

Andrea spoke up. "Can you blame him? He was literally fighting for his life."

Lori wiped her tears. "I need to go talk to her." She pushed past me to go up the stairs, but I got a gentle grip on her arm.

"No, no. You stay, it's best if I go."

She shook her head at me. "But I'm her sister-"

"I know, but you're clearly upset over this. Melody is already so depressed. Not a word can ever be spoken about how Aiden really died. I know it may be coming off as devious and immoral, but this is for her own good." Everybody silently nodded. It would kill me, and Lori, for the rest of our lives to have to hold back such a horrible secret, but this was what had to be done in order for Melody to recover. I cared about her too damn much to let her further spiral out of control, and something like this might do permanent damage. I looked over at Lori, giving her a calm look. "I'll go, ok?"

"Ok." She nodded.

I gave her a kiss on the cheek and walked up the stairs, already hearing "Skyfall" by Adele blasting from Melody's room on the third floor.

**_MELODY_ **

" ** _Let the sky fall_**

**_When it crumbles_ **

**_We will stand tall_ **

**_Face it all together_ **

**_Let the sky fall_ **

**_When it crumbles_ **

**_We will stand tall_ **

**_Face it all together_ **

**_At skyfall_ **

**_That skyfall"_ **

I had allowed myself to have a mini breakdown, I ran to my room in the first place just for a release, blasting my Bose stereo to drown out my hyperventilating. At the moment, Adele's soulful voice and intoxicating melody were doing a good job in calming down. What Andrea said just threw me for a loop, but I know I can't always run whenever I hear something unpleasant, I need to try harder to swallow my anguish and keep a brave face on.

"Melody? It's me, Rick." As Rick knocked on my door, the embarrassment further set in. Not just for me, but for Rick and Lori as well, which was very selfish of me, I owed them a major apology. Dabbing gently under my eyes, thankful that I had worn the waterproof Miss Manga mascara and that I hadn't gotten so hysterical to the point where I needed to completely put on more makeup, I took a deep breath and opened the door, seeing the sorrow in Rick's eyes. "Are you ok?"

I nodded, looking down a bit. "Yes, I am now. I'm really sorry about that whole scene, what Andrea said caught me completely off guard, but that's no excuse for my behavior."

"Hey, sweetheart." Rick lifted my chin up, our eyes locking and I could feel my cheeks burn up. "It's alright. We all have our moments, and this is still really fresh, it hasn't even been a year. You're getting better every day, I can see it."

"Really?"

He nodded, putting his hand on my shoulder. "Yes, I can. You're going to beat this, I know you will. So if you feel like you need a moment to yourself to let things out, don't be ashamed to take it, because we're all here waiting for you." Rick smiled at me and I felt my heart fluttering. He really was such an incredible man, and I was so lucky to have him in my life, I just I could find somebody like him or that I could have met him first, even though the latter was a fantasy and the former was the more obtainable.

"I won't. Thanks, Rick. I love you." I wrapped my arms around him in a hug.

"I love you, too, Melody."

"Lorelei Callie Grimes! What's wrong with your floor? This is how you let your guests see your house? What's the point of being a kept woman if you're going to live like Cinderella?"

We separated when we heard my grandma's loud voice commenting on the mess in the foyer.

"Looks like Grams has arrived."

"Where's that husband of yours? Get him to clean this up, it will give me an excuse to check out his rear end. I haven't seen an ass that fine since the Truman Administration, and that was only a one night stand with a calendar boy."

"Mom!" I heard my own mother shouting, not even having to be there to know that she was embarrassed. Rick and I looked over at each other and smirked, trying not to laugh, but I could tell he was embarrassed. We could hear Andrea and Shane trying to stifle laughter as well.

"What? After spending years with your father's wrinkled ass and sagging balls, I deserve to ogle a quality looking ass. Lucky for Lorelei's sake, they have enough money for Rick to get his balls lifted. Trust me, during foreplay it's like a damn yo-yo that won't stop spinning."

We could no longer contain ourselves and busted up. My grandma was quite the character, but she has a tendency to take it a bit too far. She also looks and sounds exactly like the actress Margo Martindale from that show _The Millers_ , so it makes everything that much funnier no matter how ridiculous or embarrassing it sounds.

"Riiiii-ccccckkkk! Come here and give Grandma Francis a big kiss!" Grams obviously heard us. I nudged Rick.

"Go on, Cowboy. Have fun getting checked out by a crazy lady."

"I heard that, Melody Jasmine Silverstone-Blake!"

I laughed to myself, already feeling better. I'm really grateful for all that my sister and Rick have done for me. Making sure I get to my doctor's appointments and take my medications, letting me live with them rent-free (in a room that has an adjoining bathroom, so now I really never left my room.), listening to my endless rants about my parents or crying over Aiden. Which is why it kills me every time I look at Rick that I can't tell him that up until two months ago, I was fucking his best friend, or rather, his best friend was fucking me. I can't tell him because I know he would never see me the same way ever again for the rest of my life, just like Shane already doesn't.

**_Reviews are encouraged! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW AND SPREAD THE WORD, NO FLAMES!_ **


	3. Slipping on Impulses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lori and Rick have a surprise announcement, but Melody accidentally ruins it. Shane harasses Melody to start their affair up again, causing her to lash out and stand up for herself. An impulsive action lands Melody in hot water. Lori brings up the topic to Rick about fixing Melody up on a date with Gareth Mandel, the graphic design genius from San Francisco and prodigy of Woodbury.

**Hi everybody! Loving the positivity so far surrounding the story! The latest chapter of _Forever Rising Phoenix_ is finally up, so go check it out!, Also, this is my first attempt at multiple first person narrative, so don't be too hard on me! Lol ;P. Another thing, I'm not sure if there was some confusion or not, but in this story, Negen is the one that killed Aiden in the same fashion he killed Glenn in TWD comics. I am happy to announce that Gareth will finally be making his debut in the next chapter! Also, please don't hate too badly on Melody for what happens!**

**_DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NOR HAVE ANY AFFILIATIONS WITH THE WALKING DEAD. ALL PROPERTIES OWNED BY FRANK DARABONT AND AMC (TELEVISION SERIES), ROBERT KIRKMAN AND TONY MOORE (COMIC BOOK SERIES), RESPECTIVELY. I ONLY OWN MY OWN ORIGINAL IDEAS AND CHARACTERS._ **

**_Chapter Three: Slipping on Impulses_ **

**_MELODY_ **

**_TWO HOURS LATER_ **

"I'm telling you, you gotta have a ballroom dance competition! Lori, you would win hands down!" I laughed, gracefully sipping my Rock Vox -my self-created drink of Orange Rockstar, orange juice, and strawberry vodka over ice- as my sister rolled her eyes.

"I don't know if the rest of the PTA would want that for their next fundraiser."

"Oh, come on! You and Rick would totally rock the casbah!"

"I don't think so, Rick has two left feet." She looked over at Rick and smirked, who wrapped his arm around her, pulling her in.

"Hey, I do not! I danced pretty well at our wedding."

"I agree, it was lovely." My mom said.

Lori nodded. "Yep, and that was the last time."

"I'ma 'fraid I'm gonna have to side with Lori on this one, bro. If it weren't for you, we would have won the sophomore talent show with our break dancing number to "Ice, Ice, Baby". Shane said, chugging his beer.

"If I recall correctly, I got through the whole routine, _you_ were the one that tripped walking out."

"I was not tripping, it was a slip n' slide, everybody knows that."

"I know what I saw, but if you think the jury is still out on that one, I'll let it be." Rick threw his napkin at Shane.

"Let it be my ass, Lefty." Shane threw his napkin back at Rick, the two guys were laughing at their clowning around.

"Dad, you know how to break dance?" Carl asked with curiosity.

" _Knew_ how to break dance, Shane paid Morgan Jones a hundred bucks to teach us, he thought it's how we would pick up chicks."

I covered my mouth, worried that my Rockstar was going to squirt out of my nose I was laughing so hard. "If you did that nowadays, we'd just think you were a player." I ruffled Carl's hair. "Trust me, there are other ways for you to get chicks."

"I'll take your word for it, Aunt Melody." Carl smiled at me. Since I never get to see Penny and Meghan, Carl is the next best thing I have to a sibling. I was six years old when he was born, so we're close enough in age to actually be siblings. He's such a great kid, although he has a bit of a smart mouth at times. Carl is starting his first day of high school tomorrow, and while he's excited, I can also sense he's a little nervous. Luckily, he doesn't believe that The "Freshman Raid" exists, I think he just wants a girlfriend and to make the baseball team. Carl is an excellent baseball player, and he was Rick's Mini-Me, so I'm feeling confident that he'll have lots of girls paying attention to him.

"Anyways, of course I'd enter a dance competition. Anything for my sweetheart." Rick looked over at Lori before stealing a kiss.

She smiled up at him and squeezed his hand. "Same for you, baby."

"Will you at least consider it?" I asked Lori.

"I'll bring it up at the next PTA meeting."

"Good. We both have extensive dance training, we'd kill it."

"I don't think watching every single season of _Dancing With The Stars_ counts." Rick said, which made us all laugh.

"Hey, pal, it goes _beyond_ that."

Dinner had actually gone over really well, much better than I thought. Mom, Lori, and I retreated to the kitchen to finish preparing the roast beef and trying not to laugh overhearing Grandma Frances, or "Grams" as we all call her, talked Andrea's ear off about Civil Rights. Now, after we had finished the dinner and were dining on the tiramisu dessert, everything was relaxed and the ambiance was wonderful with all of us talking and laughing.

'I told you, Lorelei, that you have to marry somebody at least four inches taller than you in order to have tall kids, and I don't think it will be happening now. Carl, honey, with all due respect, you got totally screwed in the gene department." Of course, Grams had to ruin the moment. She was always on a rampage to tell it like it is and not caring at all what the outcome would be, going beyond the appropriate level of "brutally honest". Grams grabbed the bottle of wine in front of Andrea and leaned over to Carl's seat. "Here, kid. Have some wine, you'll sprout up like a weed." Grandma Frances was a heavyset woman of medium height with short, curly brown hair that went right below her ears, a jowly face, squinty eyes, and a quirky but deep Jacksonville, Texas accent. All in all, she really was Margo Martindale's doppleganger. She also insisted on always calling Lori by her full name, Lorelei, which none of us have any idea as to why.

"Mom, he can't drink wine, he's only fourteen years old." My mother Charlotte interjected. I always thought she was one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen, she reminded people a lot of Fran Drescher, but without the overbearing New York accent. Lori and I were lucky enough to inherit her thick dark hair and almond shaped eyes, but it ended there in similarities. I got her olive skin and buxom chest while Lori got her height and wavy hair, mine was straight with a wave in the back. When we lost our house and during the lawsuit, she had become majorly depressed and gained weight, but she had kicked it into high gear and looked better than ever, not to mention the Botox helped as well.

"Kids in Italy and France are already drinking at his age."

"Well, when Carl's in Italy or France, if he chooses, he can drink, but not here." Lori said.

Grams rolled her eyes. "Whatever, pish posh, it's not like he's driving." She pushed the wine glass in front of Carl. "Drink up, shrimpie."

We all watched Carl carefully pick up the glass. "Don't do it, buddy." I smirked over at him while he began to sip before swallowing with a grimace and pushing the wine glass away. "What'd you think?"

He shook his head. "Not for me, but I'll take one of those beers, Shane."

"I told you not to do it." I elbowed him with a smile.

"Don't listen to your aunt, Carl. Not only is she short, but she's been out of high school for two years and all she has to show for it is making sure the Vaseline is rubbed in before-."

"Frances…"

Grams looked over at Rick and instantly shut up. Thank God for those killer blue eyes of his, but Grams still had a dig for me. "You graduated top of your class, and you're wasting your life." I could feel everybody else staring at me, too, and their pity was distressing.

"It's a stepping stone and it's temporary." Mom spoke up for me.

Lori cleared her throat before Grams could get another word in. "We have an announcement to make." She smiled, taking Rick's hand.

I started laughing. "What, you're not pregnant, are you?" I couldn't stop laughing, which happens whenever I'm uncomfortable or when babies cry, Dr. Mamet says it's a nervous habit. I finally calmed down when I looked over and saw the awestruck faces staring at me like I was crazy. Snapping out of it, I looked over at my sister in shock. "You're pregnant?"

She sighed. "Well, now that the cat is out of the bag. Yes, I'm pregnant."

I was immediately hit with a pang of jealousy. Lori already had such a perfect life while mine seemed to be crumbling by the second. Why didn't I get my dreams come true with Aiden? Why was he taken away from me so prematurely? Why haven't I found anybody new yet? I swallowed my envy away and slapped a smile on my face. "You're pregnant! Oh, my God! I'm so happy for you, Lori!" I ran over and threw my arms around her neck, giving her a big kiss on the cheek before hugging Rick. "Mazel tov, this is so exciting!" I walked back over to my chair while everybody else congratulated them.

"Thank you, everybody." Rick said, my little blunder didn't affect the ambiance, thank goodness.

"How far along are you?" Andrea asked.

"Almost two months."

"You're supposed to wait three months." Grams said.

"I know. We were just really excited and wanted to tell the people we're the closest with first, we'll send out an announcement next month. I'm hoping it's a girl." Lori beamed.

"Sheesh, I don't want a little sister." Carl rolled his eyes.

"They aren't half bad." Lori winked over at me, which left a good feeling, she obviously wasn't mad at me for what happened just now. I kind of hoped it was a girl, too, because I know Lori, Mom and I would most likely spoil her rotten.

 

I sighed heavily as I washed the dishes off, opting to do them by myself. While I was overjoyed for my sister, I love her, Rick, and Carl more than words can describe, I was still a tad bit hurt and jealous. All I ever wanted was to fall in love, get married, and have a family of my own, and it seemed like it was practically handed to Lori. I want somebody who will make my heart race and my world stop, which I've yet to find. It seems like the only thing I do manage to find is meaningless hookups. I was really just looking for solace that night…

It was a few months after Aiden died and the night following my move-in at Rick and Lori's. I was practically a zombie, I'd go from stuffing my face one day to not being able to eat the next day, I would hardly talk past a "Yes" or "No" answer. Shane had been leaving the house that night and I ran after him, asking if he had any pot. Rick didn't want to believe that his best friend was a closet pothead, I've also run out of fingers and toes to count how many times I was at Woodbury and he was stoned out of his skull. How he's been totally baked and not made a serious mistake on the job is a friggin' miracle for all of us. He told me he didn't have any on him but that he would take me to the dispensary in Burbank. The next day, I told Rick and Lori that I was going to the movies with Maggie and Stefon when I actually went with Shane. He bought a bunch of edibles and rolled some joints before taking me back home. Prior to this, I actually thought he was a good guy, just a bit cocky at times, but after what happened, I see him for who he is.

It wasn't rape, because I didn't say no, even though I should have. I didn't say no when he kissed me or when he put his mouth all over the rest of my body, I didn't say no when he roughly groped my chest or shoved my head on his groin, I didn't say no when he slid inside and pounded mercilessly. I was practically catatonic, I just imagined I was in a better place, that it was Aiden instead of Shane. I pictured that Aiden was making love to me, soft and tender, whispering things that all girls want to hear, like that I was beautiful and he loved me, anything to make it seem like a dream. I never actually believed in "making love", but it seems believable now that I've lost love. Regardless of the first time, I continued to hook up with Shane. Sometimes in his car or his house, a couple of times it was the side of Rick and Lori's house up against the wall right below their bedroom. I wasn't a virgin, I had had a few boyfriends before, but I was so numb I simply let him take advantage of me, which I hate myself for.

All of that changed almost two months ago at Carl's birthday party. I had finally obtained the courage to get dressed up and come out of my room, everything was fine until I was alone in the kitchen and Shane came up behind me. He was clearly drunk, the overwhelming stench of scotch brought tears to my eyes, and he backed me up against the kitchen counter, trying to fondle me while saying he was in love and wanted to marry me. I kept trying to push him off of me, praying that Rick and Lori wouldn't walk in and get the wrong idea. It wasn't until Shane said that I had to stop fantasizing over a dead boy like Aiden and that Rick would never leave Lori that I retaliated back, angrily clawing his neck. He seemed shocked as blood seeped through the cuts, and he back-handed me across the face. It was enough for me to get out of his hold and run up to my room. Luckily, thanks to my makeup skills, I was able to cover the bruises well, but Shane was a different story. The scars on his neck were still there, he told Rick that he was mauled by a wild cat, I doubt he bought it, though. We hadn't spoken since that night, even though he's tried, acting like it's no big deal and sending me endless cock shots.

"Melody." I heard a hoarse voice behind me, not even having to turn around to know it was Shane. Déjà vu all over again.

"What do you want?"

He snorted. "Oh, you _know damn well_ what I want, baby. Suck me, beautiful."

Finally turning around, I glared at him with a firm grimace. "I made it _very_ clear last time we saw each other that things were over. I clawed your neck, you slapped me across the face, we're through. Hooking up was a mistake. You took advantage of somebody in mourning, how can you even live with yourself?"

"I've texted you "I'm sorry" like a million times." Shane put his hands on my hips and pushed me up against the sink, running his hands up and down my body despite my desperate attempts to push him off of me. "Melody, you're so fucking hot. Just seeing you walk down the stairs got my dick hard."

"Shane, get off of me, _now."_ Shane knew since he was stronger and bigger, he could over power me, but I couldn't let this happen again. With all of my strength, I shoved him as hard as I could. " _Leave me the fuck alone_! You're with Andrea now, so stop bothering me! No more calls, _no more stupid_ cock shots, no more sneaking up on me when you're over, or I'm gonna tell Rick and Lori _everything_. You may be Rick's best friend, but I'm Lori's sister. We're _blood_ , and my word will always be believed over yours, got it?" I was fuming, and the look in Shane's eyes told me that he was utterly shocked.

"Shane, what's taking so long?" Rick called out. I stepped back and resumed the dishes as he walked in. "Melody, you almost done?"

"Uh, yeah, sure." I continued scrubbing the dishes, praying he wouldn't suspect anything.

"Come on, Shane. Carl's kicking my ass in _Halo_ , I need my right hand man."

"Ha, ok, brother. I'm coming." Shane waited until Rick was out of the room to speak to me again. "Try whatever you want, but I know the truth about you. I'll make it so Rick and Lori never speak to you again, Melody Blake." He hissed in my ear before walking off. While his words were intimidating, I refused to cower under them, and I refuse to be pushed around by the likes of Shane Walsh.

**_RICK_ **

**_11:30 PM_ **

"What a night." I said aloud to nobody in particular, throwing back a beer while watching the sports highlights. After all the excitement this evening, it was nice to have some alone time. Carl and Melody were asleep while Lori was reading in bed. I can tell she's relieved that we finally told somebody about the baby, as am I. Luckily, this time around will be different, we weren't living at her mother's house while I finished at the police academy. Now, I'm a businessman living comfortably, everybody is safe and happy. Some days, I do miss the action, but I would never want to be in that situation again…

"Hey, Rick." Melody strolled into the family room, wearing her Juicy jacket and a pair of blue boxer shorts. I felt bad for her because she had such awful body dismorphia, she really wasn't as heavy as she thought she was, only by about ten or fifteen pounds. It was as if she saw something we all didn't see.

"Hey, Melo. What are you still doing up?"

"I'm all jittery from the Rock Vox, I think I'm a little tipsy, too. Can I hang out for a while?"

I patted the couch. "Be my guest. My Dodgers swept your Giants today seventeen to nothing."

"URGH! Are you serious?! We'll never get to the World Series at this point!" She sat down on the couch, leaning her head on my shoulder, wrapping her arms around my waist and her legs over mine. This was nothing new, Melody has been hanging on me her whole life pretty much, I'm used to it, it's actually kind of sweet.

"Ha, this is the year of bleeding blue."

"Yeah, right. My Giants won 2010 and 2012, we wanna win 2014 and make it 3 for 3. When was the last time the Dodgers went to the World Series? 1988? Long time…"

I scoffed. "Whatever, you'll see."

"I wouldn't hold my breath, Rick. I have a sixth sense about these kinds of things."

"If you say so." A comfortable silence enveloped the room, I figured the timing was right to reveal a plaguing thought that had been on my mind for the past few hours. "What was going on between you and Shane in the kitchen?"

**_MELODY_ **

My eyes widened over Rick's question, thank goodness I was fixated on the TV. How could I possibly tell him that the reason why his best friend was pissed off was because I refused to have sex with him again? The affair with Shane was something that had to be taken to the grave, for all of our sakes. Apart from being humiliating, it was too much of a risk to reveal, I didn't want to cause any more problems. "Nothing, he was bragging about how much he can bench press and that Andrea really loves it." That was another thing, why did Shane still want me when he had Andrea? She was every guy's fantasy: blonde hair, blue eyes, and a solid bod. There was no reason to pay attention to me at all.

Rick laughed, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. "That's typical Shane for you, thinks he's Adonius or something. How are you feeling about the baby?"

"A little shocked at first, but I'm excited. I was only six years old when Carl was born, I didn't really get to interact with him, but I'll be involved with this baby, every step of the way. I just- never mind."

He looked concerned. "What? Tell me what's on your mind."

I shrugged, heavily exhaling. "I was going to say that I just really want what you two have, and I don't know when I'll get it. My sister is a pretty good matchmaker, yet she can never find anybody for me." I looked up at him. "Don't you know any hot single guys?"

"No, but I'll be on the lookout. I'm sure that you'll find somebody, you're a catch, Melody. In the meantime, enjoy being young and the rest will fall into place."

"Really? You think so?" I asked, to which he nodded.

"Yeah. Any guy would be lucky to have you, you really are such a fantastic girl with a huge heart. One day, you're going to find somebody who will never take you for granted and love you for exactly who you are."

I felt my smile impossibly broadening, his statement really touched my heart. It was the boost of confidence that I really needed. "Thank you, Rick! You made my week!" I threw my arms around his neck, giving him a big hug, followed by a kiss on the cheek.

"You're welcome." He said with a smile.

I pulled back and gave him a peck, followed by another one. Without even thinking, my lips were pressed to his. This kiss was something else, it made me feel warm all over, and soon Rick was melting into it as well. Eyes closed, we lost ourselves in the kiss and each other's touch, practically entranced as my hands landed on his shoulders and his on my hips. Everything was so gentle and tender, exactly what a kiss should be. I've had romantic kisses before, but there was never the spark that there was in this moment, this was real. We continued kissing until I felt something poking me in the thigh. Rick had an erection, and _that's_ when I realized what I had done.

**_WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO?! YOU JUST MADE OUT WITH YOUR BROTHER-IN-LAW, YOUR SISTER'S HUSBAND!_ **

I immediately broke the kiss, knowing that my face was pale and my pupils were dilated. It must have set in with Rick also, he had an ambivalent, almost dumbfounded look on his face. Complete panic enveloped me, I had just done something so unspeakable and appalling. "Oh, my God. Rick, I'm so sorry." I jumped off of him and ran out of the room, feeling hot tears streaming down my cheeks.

"Melody. Melody, wait! Come back, please!"

I zoomed up the stairs and didn't stop running until I was in my room. Grabbing the nearest pillow, I buried my face and let out a blood curtling scream until rawness hit my throat, the tears continuing to fall. How could I do that to Lori? My sister, my blood, who has been nothing but kind and understanding for the past almost six months, putting a rent free roof over my head, and this is the thanks she gets?! No matter what I tried, nothing was calming me down. My heart was beating out of my chest, my whole body was still shaking, and I was hyperventilating. I had just committed adultery, but why wasn't Rick the one to stop it? Is he attracted to me? No, I'm kidding myself. After splashing some cold water on my face, I was able to calm down, that and the crying really wore me out. This shouldn't have happened, what am I going to do? For starters, I need to find a new place to live. Once Lori finds out, I'll be on my ass in the streets, she will never forgive me. I wish there was some way I could take it back, but it was as if I wasn't even in control when it happened. What am I going to do?

**_LORI_ **

I had just set down _Hollywood Husbands_ when Rick walked in the room, and I couldn't help but think that something seemed kind of off about him. He had a serious expression on his face and looked a little pale. "Baby? Is everything ok? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Rick nodded, not stopping on his way to the connecting bathroom. "Yeah, Lori. I'm fine, just tired."

I wasn't entirely buying it, but it would suffice for the moment. Rick had gone into work this morning, and he hated going into the office on Sundays, so naturally, he'd be drained. "I understand, and it all starts over again in the morning."

"What can I say? It's a job that never ends." Rick replied as he was brushing his teeth.

"So what did you think of everybody's reactions about the pregnancy?"

Rick walked out a moment later, only wearing his black boxer briefs, and he looked very sexy.

**_I have one hot husband._ **

"Unexpected, but I think everybody is excited overall, especially Melody. Your grandma is a real trip, you know that?"

I laughed as he got into bed. "I know, she is indeed. She doesn't think before she speaks, like Melody did when she spoiled the surprise. Except unlike Grandma, I know my sister didn't mean to do that."

"I know, I think she was still thrown off from that whole scene with Andrea. She's a good person, but she really does not think things over, Andrea just runs off at the mouth."

"You're right, but do you believe what Shane said about Aiden? I haven't been able to stop thinking about it."

Rick heavily sighed, I could tell that he hadn't been able to get it off his mind, either. "Well, Shane would have no reason to lie about something so serious, and I know that Lam and Leon are indiscreet and dumb enough to talk about a confidential case with one of us. I really think if Melody found out, she would be utterly devastated."

I nodded, snuggling up to him. "I agree, Rick. It just kills me that she's lost her sparkle for the time being. She's getting better, but I think I came up with a way to fully restore it."

"How?"

"I think we should set her up on a date with that kid from San Francisco, the one that landed the Disney deal."

He gazed down, giving me a quizzical look. "Gareth Mandel? I don't know about that, Lori. He's usually all business, I have no idea if he's even single. Besides, don't you think he'll be intimidated dating the founder's daughter?"

"Nope, because she doesn't mention the relation. I think it would be great. He's successful, intelligent, artistic, cute, and close to her age, what could be the harm? Will you find out for me, please? Do it for Melody." While I had only met Gareth a couple times, I remembered that he was a very good looking young man, he and Melody would make such a cute couple.

Rick smiled. "Alright, I'll find out tomorrow and set something up if I can. Ok?"

I couldn't help but have the biggest smile on my face. "Ok."

He leaned down and kissed me tenderly, his hand landing on my stomach. ""I love you, Lori, more than anything. Words can not express how happy I am about this new baby."

Returning the smile, I could feel myself blushing. Twenty years later and he still has that effect on me, and he always would for as long as we both shall live. "I love you, too, and so am I." Reaching over and turning off the lights, our kisses became more heated as we began to undress…

**_Reviews are encouraged! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW AND SPREAD THE WORD, NO FLAMES!_ **


	4. Raised Stakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reluctantly, Rick asks Gareth Mandel, the graphic design genius at Woodbury, if he'll take Melody out on a date, except for he's already figured it out. Regardless of the raise and promotion he'll be receiving, Gareth optimistically agrees to the date. Lori is thrilled at the news, and Melody decides to just go with it. Gareth's rise to prominence is further delved into.

**Hi everybody! GARETH HAS FINALLY ARRIVED! I originally posted on Saturday, I figured the timing to post was appropriate, considering the 22nd is Andrew J. West's birthday, and it will also be Gareth's birthday in the story. HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANDREW, KEEP ROCKING THE SEXY! ;)**

**November 22nd is also the 3 year anniversary of my favorite uncle's passing. Miss and love you every day, Uncle Brian, and I wish more than anything that you could have been here to see Penelope. :(.**

**Sorry if anybody seems out of character, but it makes sense in the moment and flows better as the story goes on.** ****

**_DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NOR HAVE ANY AFFILIATIONS WITH THE WALKING DEAD. ALL PROPERTIES OWNED BY FRANK DARABONT AND AMC (TELEVISION SERIES), ROBERT KIRKMAN AND TONY MOORE (COMIC BOOK SERIES), RESPECTIVELY. I ONLY OWN MY OWN ORIGINAL IDEAS AND CHARACTERS._ **

**_Chapter Four: Raised Stakes_ ** ****

**_11:30 AM, Woodbury Communications, Chatsworth, CA, Monday, September 1st_ **

**_RICK_ **

Sitting in my office this morning, I was still confused about last night. Why hadn't I been the one to stop the kiss and why had I let it go that far? I don't think she did it on purpose, I think that she just lost sight of things for a moment. Yes, Melody is a very beautiful girl, but I'm married… _to her sister_ , and I love Lori with all my heart. My mind was in a tailspin of knowing it was wrong to unsure if I enjoyed it or not. Sometimes, it was hard not to look at her, and it had been becoming an increasing problem over the past couple of years with her developing body. I was a good Christian family man, I shouldn't be having impure thoughts about my much younger sister-in-law.

It all started when she finished losing her baby fat a little over two years ago. Melody was laying by the pool one day in a hot pink and gold foil bikini, water glistening off her tanned and now flat stomach as the sun dried her off, her long legs crossed one over the other staring up at the sky with a pair of Chanel sunglasses covering her striking green-grey eyes. I remember just standing there with my mouth hanging open at how great she looked. Ever since then, I would daydream about her from time to time, it got so bad that I started seeing a therapist about it. Dr. Jenner told me it was repressed feelings and that I needed to spend more time with my wife. I was utterly ashamed that I was fantasizing about Melody. Sweet, vulnerable, beautiful, curvaceous Melody…

A knocking at the door averted my thoughts. "Come in." I watched the door open and couldn't believe my luck on who walked in.

"Hey, Rick. I have the final proofs for the Tokyo _Mockingjay Part One_ posters and the North American _Sailor Moon Crystal_ DVD sleeves, I just need you to sign off on them before they go to the printers." It was Gareth Mandel, one of my top graphic designers and the young man that Lori wanted to fix Melody up with.

"Hey, come on in." My nerves were getting shot thinking of how I was going to ask him about his personal life. Why did I get myself in this predicament?

"Here you go." He handed me two blown up pictures.

The first one was the _Mockingjay Part One_ poster, which was the third film in _The Hunger Games Saga_ franchise. It was Katniss Everdeen in the middle with Peeta Meelark on the left side and Gale on the right side, all three of them woven into the background of a mockingjay bird in red and blue flames. "If We Burn You Burn With Us" was written at the top, the title in the middle, and on the bottom it read "The Girl On Fire Burns On". 

The second print was a side by side of Sailor Moon, the first half being in her normal schoolgirl attire while the other half was in her Sailor Scout uniform, with the rest of the Sailor Scouts beneath, all surrounded by the background of the starry night sky and the moon.

"Wow, Gareth, these really are incredible. You've got quite the talent." I smiled as I signed off. Gareth Mandel was something of a prodigy here at Woodbury. He had only been with us a month when he landed the meeting with Disney _and_ an eight figure deal as well. That's incredibly rare for not only a first timer, but for pretty much almost anybody that wasn't Donald Trump or a Vanderbilt.

"Thanks, I couldn't have done it without my team though." He returned the smile. I could see where Lori would want to fix Melody up with him, and I could also see where she thought he kind of resembled Aiden. Most of the graphic designers here dressed like they were hanging out at a skate park or comic book store, but Gareth was always well put together. He dressed nicely in crisp shirts with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, slightly loose silk ties, oxblood leather shoes and dress pants, along with the black and blue rectangular glasses that he wore from time to time, certainly looking like a professional. Gareth had a really good head on his shoulders, along with being intelligent, articulate, and sharp. Maybe he would be exactly what Melody needed, _if_ he agreed to go out with her…

"You're quite the leader. Hey, sit down for a moment, there's some things I want to discuss with you." I leaned back in my chair.

He gave a questioning look, but sat down across from me anyway. "Uh, ok. Is there a problem?"

"No, not at all, nothing like that. You've been with Woodbury for a little over a year now, and in that time you've made a tremendous impact with the accounts you brought in and the overall company enlargement." 

"Well, I've been told I have the moxie and attitude to go the distance." He smiled before pulling a ball back on the Newton's Cradle, watching as the balls went back and forth, hitting each other. My desk was known for having the most toys and pictures, thanks to Melody and Carl surprising me one day with a revamped desk, but I left it because it was kind of sweet.

"You certainly do, but I'm just curious if it conflicts with your personal life at all?"

"No, not really. I mean, I don't have much of a personal life. I spend a lot of time with my family, go out every now and then, but I haven't been seriously dating anybody since I broke things off with my fiancé at the beginning of the year. Turns out she cheated on me, but I'm better off."

"Mmhmm. I'm sorry to hear that." I nodded, deciding to just go with it. "Did you happen to hear about that LMU student that was stabbed to death about six months ago?"

Gareth's face grimaced slightly and he nodded. "I did, unfortunately. Such a tragedy, my brother Alex knew him through the party circuit, and I met him a couple times. What about Aiden?"

"Yes, it's terrible. Well, he was best friends with my wife's baby sister, Melody. There were kind of some unrequited feelings between them, and she's been terribly depressed ever since he passed away. Here," I handed him a picture of me, Lori, Carl, and Melody from Lori's 30th birthday party two years ago. "This is her."

I watched as he studied the picture and his eyes widened slightly. The picture wasn't entirely accurate, but there wasn't much of a difference from how she looked then and how she looked now, despite what she thought. "Wow, she-she's quite a looker, Rick. I'm sorry, where do I come in with all of this?" Gareth handed the picture back to me. "You want me to take her out, don't you?"

I could feel heat rising to my face, he really was astute. A part of me wanted to scratch the idea and change the subject, but this wasn't for me. This was for Melody and more or less, it was also for Lori.

"Sort of, yes. Yes, I do. Look, I know that this all sounds incredibly unconventional, but for some reason my wife thinks that a date is what she needs and she was raving on and on about you. I'll make it worth your while though. For some time now, Shane and I have been discussing making you a partner of the company, which includes a 5% raise, due to your extraordinary work. Also, you'll be reimbursed for the dates, if there's more than one." If this didn't work, I'd feel like I'd never be able to show my face in the office again, I just hoped he wouldn't tell anybody.

Gareth just kind of stared at me, first in shock, then something that looked like a smirk. "You do realize this sort of has a _Pygmalion_ feel to it, right?"

"Yes, yes, I do. I'm doing this for her because she's pretty much like my baby sister, and I'll do whatever I can to help her out. Regardless, you earned the raise and promotion, just think of this as an added incentive."

He hesitated, which made me all the more anxious. What if I end up getting sued for bribery or extortion? I might have just kissed my career goodbye, and I had to reverse the damage somehow. "Gareth, I-"

"I'll do it." 

"Excuse me?" I blinked in surprise.

"Yes, I'll do it. How does Friday night sound?"

"I-I think it sounds perfect." I was still in shock that he had actually agreed to this, either he was incredibly optimistic or just money hungry, but he didn't strike me as the dirty player type.

"Great. What do I have to lose, right?" He cracked a smile, and I could feel myself beginning to breathe again.

**_FIVE MINUTES LATER_ **

**_LORI_ **

I was in the family room finishing up one of my scrapbooks when the chorus of "Forever And For Always" by Shania Twain blasted from my phone. With a huge smile on my face, I answered. "Hi, hun. What's going on?"

"Hey, beautiful. I'm calling to tell you that your little plan worked."

My smile widened. "With Gareth? You mean…"

"Yes, he agreed to go out with Melody."

"YAY!" I jumped up from my spot on the couch, cheering with my fist in the air, which sent my scrapbook and all the pictures that had been in my lap flying to the floor, and I already knew that Rick had to hold the phone away from his ear. Laughing, I bent over to pick up everything as I set the phone on the coffee table and put it on speaker. "Sorry, I'm just so excited! I can't believe he's going for it! What did he say? Is he excited, too? Did you show him a picture? I hope you showed him a picture, Rick!"

The sound of my husband's laughter filled the room. "Motormouth, calm down! I showed him a picture, he kind of figured it out before I could even ask and he's game for Friday night."

"That's perfect." I was ecstatic, my matchmaking skills were totally going to pay off this time, I could feel it. "It's about time that she goes out with a quality guy, unlike that Randall." Randall had been Melody's on-again, off-again boyfriend since she was sixteen and the one she lost her virginity to. He was two years older than her, slightly illiterate with crooked teeth and a bulbous nose, she was the only one that thought he looked identical to Jake Gyllenhaal, but Melody kept going back for more until she turned eighteen and kicked Randall to the curb for good. I blame it on age, she was and still is young enough to make mistakes dating wise. Although, Randall had seen her a few weeks after Aiden died trying to get back together, but Melody didn't go for it an umpteenth time, thank Jesus and Moses.

"Trust me, Gareth is _nothing at all_ like that weasel Randall. I'll show you all the accounts he's signed on to prove it."

"I believe you, Rick. I can't wait until Melody finds out, I hope she'll go for it." I had a feeling she would, especially when she saw how good looking and down to earth Gareth was. Who knows what could happen? This could go really well or really bad, but either way, the sky was the limit…

**_TWENTY MINUTES LATER_ ** ****

**_MELODY_ **

I felt myself wince when I looked down at my phone to see Rick was calling. While I wasn't proud about what happened, the discussion regarding last night could not be avoided. With a deep breath, I answered the phone. "Hi, Rick. I know what this call is about." I was prepared for him to tell me that I had to move out, I had been looking for places on Craigslist all morning. 

"Hi, Melody, that's actually not the entire reason why I'm calling, but we do need to discuss what happened last night." He was stammering, this must have been just as hard on him as it was on me. This wasn't a pleasant situation, and in my opinion, he was just as much to blame as I was.

"I just want you to know how sorry I am. It was wrong and inappropriate of me to cross such a boundary, especially when I know better. Honestly, I haven't been myself lately, not to mention I was slightly inebriated. Will things ever be how they used to for us? You know that I would never want to do anything to ruin what we have." My eyes brimmed with tears as I spoke. While I felt sad, I really had nobody to blame but myself.

"I'm just as much to blame as you are, Melody, so don't be so hard on yourself. It was in the heat of the moment, on both of our ends, and I also feel that we should wait until after the baby is born to tell Lori." Rick had a point. Lori's pregnancy with Carl hadn't been the easiest. She developed toxemia and tore a hole in her esophagus from vomiting all nine months, she was also anemic and had to have an emergency C-Section, Lori almost didn't make it, and I'll be damned if something happens this time around because of my selfishness.

"I agree, that's for the best. Is there anything else?" I silently exhaled in relief, hoping it wouldn't be torture to keep this a secret for the next seven months, but maybe it wouldn't since at the end of it all, the right thing would be done.

"Yes, I called because I have a little bit of a surprise for you."

"Really? What is it?" A knock at the door interrupted what Rick's reply was going to be. "Hold on a second, that's probably your wife." I held the phone away from my ear. "Come in." Sure enough, my sister came strolling into my room with a thousand watt smile on her face. "Hi, Lori." 

"Hi, Melody! I have big news for you! Who are you on the phone with?" 

"Your husband. Rick, I told you a thousand million times! You can't tease me with a _Frozen_ sequel! It's already torture not knowing when the hell the musical is coming to Broadway! Do you take some sick pleasure in torturing me about seeing more of one of my favorite Disney princesses?" Judging by his laughter, I could tell he was relieved how quickly I changed the subject to diffuse the elephant that had barely left the room before Lori's arrival.

"Oh, good! Put him on speaker phone, we have a surprise for you." She sat down on the bed, still smiling.

"Alright. Rick, you're on speaker phone." I set the phone down in front of us.

"Hi, Rick." 

"Hi. Anyways, Melody, the surprise is I set you up on a date with Gareth Mandel for this Friday night."

"You mean "Steve Jobs, Jr."? Wonder Boy?" Why on earth would Rick set me up with him? If he was anything like Martin the Moron, Gareth would be a skirt chasing misogynistic pig trying to get into my pants. What was Rick thinking?!

"Ha, is that what you call him? And yes, that's who it is. He's a nice young man. It was actually your sister's idea."

I could feel myself tensing up as Lori nodded triumphantly. "You guys, I don't know. I mean, it's been a while since I've been on an actual date date." 

My sister spoke next. "Melody, you'll like him, he's a great guy. Plus, he kind of looks like Josh Hutcherson, and I know how you think he's so cute. I've already talked to Lilly, you're going to be getting a whole spa day. Partial weave, mani/pedi, waxing, facials, whatever you want. Besides, what better time to get back out there than now?"

As much as I hated to admit it, she had a point. There was no use in wallowing forever, I had to bring myself back to life, and maybe a date would be a good start. "Alright, fine. I'll do it."

Lori smiled and threw her arms around me. "I'm so happy, Melody. You won't regret it."

Laughing, I returned the hug. My sister's enthusiasm was indeed contagious, because now I was actually a bit curious. "Besides, what could I possibly have to lose?"

****

**_GARETH_ **

Walking back to my office, I couldn't believe what just happened. I had been propositioned by my boss to take out his sister-in-law. Honestly, I didn't know whether to laugh or not. Needless to say, being in Southern California never ceased to amaze me, starting with my uprising of success. 

I was a green rookie, fresh off the plane from San Francisco and almost two months after art school graduation, but I had the skills and articulate of a groomed professional. Before Woodbury recruited me, they were working with a lot of businesses unknown by the public, and I took it upon myself to change that. After calling every day for a month, I finally got the top Disney Imagineers to hear my pitch, and twenty minutes later, Rick and Shane were signing a 10 year, $100 million dollar deal. That was baseball money! Ever since then, I've kind of been on a Midas streak. After Disney, there was O*P*I Nails, Frito Lays, Carnival Cruises, Lionsgate, True Religion Jeans, Jaguar, Swarovski, Judith Lieber, Smart Water, Jones Soda, the upcoming Call of Duty video games, I just kept knocking the deals out of the park. The more accounts we picked up, the more workers were hired and the business expanded in less than a year, which was amazing considering the sluggish economy.

Growing up, money like this was a dream, and I definitely wasn't used to it now. Although we weren't dirt poor, we most certainly were not filthy rich, either. I've been working since I was eight years old, starting as a batboy for the San Francisco Giants. Thanks to puberty and a growth spurt, at fourteen, I was able to land a job as a Starbucks barista, eventually becoming the barista manager. True, I pretty much became an overnight sensation at Woodbury, but I never let it get to my head. I worked my ass off to get here. Juggling two full time jobs, reading every book in the library, skipping out on parties and school functions to study for hours on end, interning for Levi's, I never had a report card with anything less than an A-, and I did all this while taking care of my four younger siblings. 

I had changed a lot about myself since arriving in Southern California. In less than a year, I had gone from hipster to yuppie, but I liked to think of myself as a combination of both, and it didn't stop there. Being a vegetarian and then vegan for pretty much my whole life, it was almost a little too easy becoming a carnivore. Other things were a little too easy as well, such as going to the gym regularly (not that I needed to, I was naturally slender, but now I had actual muscle tone) and driving a Jaguar XKR convertible, even my wardrobe was different now, as was my last name. My birth name is Gareth Adam Mandelbaumowitz, but I shortened it to Mandel because in the business world it's easier to remember. Some people might refer to all the things I did as selling out, but I prefer to call it evolution. In life, change is inevitable, and I was embracing it head on. 

I get a 5% commission cut from every account I bring in, along with my yearly salary, which at this point seemed insignificant because of all the deals. It takes quite the ordeal to get somebody to go into a business deal. Lots of schmoozing, dining at five star restaurants, spending hours on a golf course, even getting illegal Cuban cigars imported, all to make a sale. Unfortunately, I've also bedded a few female clients as well. The reps from Judith Lieber and Jaguar still contact me wanting a hookup. It's not something I was proud of, and I never did it until after I broke up with my fiancé, even though I was being hit on when I was engaged, but I will do whatever I have to do within the realm of possibility to get the job. Working at Woodbury was kind of like that show _Mad Men,_ albeit a lot less drinking. Except once the ink dried, it paid off. I was able to move my family into a nice house in Encino, even adding on a unit so each of my siblings could have a room of their own. I paid off my student loans, my credit cards, restarted my retirement account and started college funds for my siblings. With all the financial responsibilities out of the way, there was still so much left over. I invested in stocks and artwork, still contemplating if I should buy some property somewhere, maybe when the real estate market is better. My brother Alex told me I should buy a yacht, but that just seems way too over the top. Regardless of my newfound wealth, I'm still pretty frugal over flashy, the only exceptions being the Jaguar and a Rolex watch I treated myself to on my birthday last November.

This is the first time I've ever been set up on a blind date before, although technically it wasn't all too blind since I've seen Melody's picture, but she doesn't know what I look like at all. From that one picture, she was an absolutely beautiful girl, and I felt kind of bad for her considering what happened to Aiden. In a way, I understood Rick's point on getting her to meet new people, I just had no idea what she's looking for. Maybe I'm putting too much emphasis on it. This is also the first date I've been on since I dumped my fiancé after catching her in bed with our stupid bleached blonde pool boy. Who knows what could happen with Melody? We could meet and fall in love or have the worst date of our lives and never see each other again. Maybe she'll turn out to be a total bitch or she'll think I'm a complete asshole. Either way, it's the push I need to get back into dating, it had been a very long hiatus. Whatever happens, surprises are a great thing, and that's exactly what I was hoping would happen: A fantastic surprise.

****

**_Reviews are encouraged! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW AND SPREAD THE WORD, NO FLAMES!_ **


	5. Oh, What A Night, Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maggie and Beth Greene, two of Melody's best friends, help her get ready for the big date, which has her nerves a bit shot. After a conversation between her and Lori is overheard, she wants to back out, but sucks it up. Melody and Gareth meet and have an instant attraction that ends up having an awkward start. Will things improve? Sorry for the sucky summary please R&R though!

**Hi everybody! Here it is, the start of the long awaited date! I just had to post today before Thanksgiving, as a treat to you all! I'm excited to bring more Walking Dead characters into the story. My cousin speaks Pig Latin, which is where I got the idea for Maggie and Beth.**

**Sorry if anybody seems out of character, but it makes sense in the moment and flows better as the story goes on.**

**_DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NOR HAVE ANY AFFILIATIONS WITH THE WALKING DEAD OR OH, WHAT A NIGHT. ALL PROPERTIES OWNED BY FRANK DARABONT AND AMC (TELEVISION SERIES), ROBERT KIRKMAN AND TONY MOORE (COMIC BOOK SERIES), THE FOUR SEASONS, BOB GAUDIO AND JUDY PARKER, RESPECTIVELY. I ONLY OWN MY OWN ORIGINAL IDEAS AND CHARACTERS._ **

**_Chapter Five: Oh, What A Night, Part One_ **

**_5:30 PM, The Grimes Residence, Calabasas_ **

"Melody, I am so excited for you!" Maggie squealed as she straightened my hair.

"Me, too. I bet he's really cute." Beth said as she put foundation on my face.

It was Friday night, and the night of my big date with Gareth Mandel, or as I referred to him up until four days ago, "Wonder Boy". I was excited, but also a bit nervous, especially because everybody around me was putting so much emphasis on it. When Lori and I went to Sanctuary this morning, Lilly's salon and spa that my dad bought her, for our pampering, it was all anybody could talk about to me. Karen the hair stylist, Donna the esthetician, Haley the nail girl, and Rowan the tanning consultant asked me question after question to the point where I actually had a migraine by the time we left. Regardless of the questioning, they all did a fabulous job on me. My highlights were touched up and my bangs were cut, my eyebrows were finally tamed and re-shaped, my face was smoothed out, my French tips were applied and my toes were painted mint green with little pink and white flowers on them, not to mention my spray tan made everything pop. At the moment, my hair and makeup was getting done by two of my best friends, sisters Maggie and Beth Greene.

Beth and I have known each other since we were two years old in pre-school. My mom would stay with me sometimes, and she noticed Beth was very shy and quiet and all by herself. One day, Mom brought two yogurts and gave one to her, because she would always put sprinkles in my Trix, and that's how we met. Once we saw that we had twin Pocahontas backpacks, we became best friends, and our moms became close as well.

As we grew up, Beth and I would fall in and out of contact, mostly because we went to different schools and were too busy with whatever else was going on in our lives, but nothing would ever break the bond we had. We were the epitome of "opposites attract". Beth is shy, obedient, and soft spoken, while I'm more outgoing, rebellious, and have a tendency to get a little too excited. For years, I thought that her dad Hershel hated me, but it turns out he didn't. Beth got a lot of flack in school because Hershel was so much older than her mom Annette, and the kids all called him "Santa Claus". Truth be told, Hershel Greene was the nicest person anybody could ever meet, a real class act of a man and definitely a book that my father should take a page out of. He always made time for his children and never hesitated to help them.

Maggie and I had only become better friends over the past couple years. Being six years older than us, I didn't see much of her, we were friendly but we weren't close. During my first Costume and Makeup Design Class at Moorpark Community College, my project required a model to recreate an original look on. Beth suggested Maggie, who was trying to break into modeling. Thanks to that suggestion, my Poison Ivy revamp got an A+, I took Maggie's headshots, and she in turn got some quality modeling gigs. Who would turn down a 5"8 fit brunette? Between that and being a bartender at Youngbloodz, an upscale nightclub/bar, Maggie was able to pay her tuition through FIDM, where she was studying to be a fashion designer. I'm glad that I came into contact with Beth and Maggie again, because I don't know how I could have gotten through the past six months without them.

"Have you looked him up on Facebook? Close your eyes." Beth started applying eye shadow on my lids in shades of pink and gold.

"No, I haven't. Don't get me wrong, I've been tempted, but in a way, the fact that I don't know what he looks like at all is kind of sexy. It makes it a mystery."

"So, you don't mind if I look him up then?"

I shook my head. "Knock yourself out, Mags. His name is Gareth Mandel." Rick, Lori, and Carl already knew what he looked like, so what would be the harm in two of my best friends seeing as well? It was better this way instead of them waiting around until he got here, that would be a bit awkward.

"Oh, my god. If you got married, your initials would be M.M. That's so cute! Melody Mandel, it does have a nice ring to it." I could tell Beth was grinning from ear to ear as she penciled in my eyeliner.

"Pfft, dream on, girlfriend. If he's anything like Martin the Moron, then there won't even be a second date."

"I highly doubt your sister would set you up with an asshole like him." The next thing I heard was Maggie gasp behind me. "Ohway, ymay oshgay. Ethbay, ooklay. E'shay eallyray, eallyray utecay!" (Translation: "Oh, my gosh. Beth, look. He's really, really cute!")

"Ou'reyay ightray, e'shay away ottiehay! Elodymay sway away uckylay irlgay!" (Translation: "You're right, he's a hottie! Melody is a lucky girl!"

"Iway inkthay omebody'ssay onnagay etgay away oyfriendbay." (Translation: "I think somebody's gonna get a boyfriend.")

"Ehay oesday indkay ofway avehay away Incepray Armingchay ooklay otay imhay. Ohway, isthay isway osay omanticray!" (Translation: "He does kind of have a Prince Charming look to him. Oh, this is so romantic!")

The girls then burst into giggles. Beth and Maggie were fluent in Pig Latin, and they only spoke it when discussing something private or just to be silly. They tried to teach it to me numerous times, and while I understand a little, I could never fully decipher it. "Ok, enough with the gibberish! Besides, when are either one of you going to tie the knot? Maybe not you, Beth, it's too soon, but what about you, Maggie?"

Beth and Maggie were both in committed relationships at the moment. Maggie had been with Glenn for almost four years now, they had just moved in together in a cozy four bedroom house in Tarzana, which was close to Comic Dojo, the comic book and pop culture store that Glenn runs and owns after buying it from the previous owner with every cent he saved up during his time as a pizza delivery boy. Before meeting Glenn, Maggie had been kind of a loose sorority girl at USC, every night was a party, so it's a huge personal accomplishment that she's been with him for this long.

Beth met Noah back in January at an open mic night she was doing at a coffee shop in Malibu. While Beth was currently going to school to be a veterinarian, her real dream was to be a famous singer/songwriter. I could totally see it, especially since she has the whole Taylor Swift vibe working for her. After the gig, Noah approached me asking about Beth and I introduced them. Turns out, he was an up and coming DJ with a recording studio in his house, and he helped Beth record and mix her demos. Unfortunately, Beth got accepted into the veterinary program at California State Polytechnic University in Pomona, which was very time consuming, so she's put her music career on the back-burner, but things have definitely been heating up with Noah over the past eight months. He was her third serious boyfriend, and it seemed like she was a little jilted with relationships considering her first boyfriend Jimmy decided to pursue competitive ice fishing in Alaska and her second boyfriend Zack had a really bad drinking problem, but her and Noah were so compatible.

In my opinion, the girls really lucked out getting such wonderful guys, I consider them both close friends, too. While I was happy for my friends, there was that little green devil called Envy dancing in the back of my head reminding me how much I wanted a boyfriend.

My luck with guys hasn't been great at all. Randall was my first serious boyfriend, and I was absolutely crazy about him. I thought I was so in love, but looking back now, I realized he was just an idiot. He was going nowhere and taking me down with him and fast. I guess that's what you get when you meet somebody online, which I'll never be doing again. The next guy I date, whomever it may be, has to have goals and aspirations instead of waiting around hoping a golden opportunity will fall out of the sky.

"We've discussed it a lot, actually. I want to marry Glenn, I can't picture spending the rest of my life without him, I'm not really in a rush, and I don't think he is, either. It will happen when it happens, and when it does, I want something small and tasteful."

I opened my eyes in amazement. "A love like yours should be celebrated tremendously! When I get married, I want it to be an extravagant affair. Doves and fireworks in a castle, all that jazz!"

We looked over at each other and started laughing. Up until a few months ago, I was always talking about how I wanted a larger than life wedding. At this point, who knows when that will ever happen, and I hope it's not  _if_ it will ever happen.

"I'm sure that whomever you'll end up with will give you everything you deserve." Maggie said.

Beth nodded. "I agree, you'll always be a princess, Melody, at least to us."

"Well, I used to be, I'm the fallen princess at this phase in my life though." I turned around and looked at myself in the vanity mirror. "Wow, you girls did an incredible job on me." I actually did look fantastic, my hair was straightened and half up, my makeup made the green-grey eyes and my lips look luscious.

"Our work here is done. Where's your outfit?"

"Hanging up. I'm wearing my hot pink Louboutins and Lori's silver Judith Leiber clutch." My sister had convinced me to wear a dress despite me telling her I was way too fat. It was a cute little powder blue sleeveless dress with delicate straps and a V-neck. The A-line waist and asymmetric wrap and flounce construction skirt did a really good job covering my problem areas, but I was still self-conscious. The shoes were a present to myself from my first paycheck working for Andrea, and Lori let me borrow her Judith Lieber, she was absolutely obsessed with those clutches, which are beyond stunning.

"Oh, it's darling!" Beth walked over and grabbed it from the top of the door. "Where did you get it?"

"Actually, I've had it for a while and forgot about it, I guess you can that dress was a needle in a haystack."

"You're going to look gorgeous in it." Maggie said.

"Yeah, let's hope so. Crap, he's gonna be here soon, I better get dressed."

"Can't we stay and see him?" Beth asked with a mischievous grin.

"No way! This first meeting is going to be awkward enough, and I know you two will ask a thousand questions. It's part of the best friend protocol." I smiled at them, hoping they'd get the hint.

Maggie rolled her eyes. "Alright, fine. I want full details tomorrow though."

"Of course. By the way, I want to start going to that Zumba class with you, Maggie." I was trying to get my life back on track, and the first part was getting back in shape again.

"Sweet! You'll love it."

"I hope so. Bye, girls." We hugged good bye, I was so glad that we had gotten to spend some time together, it seemed like ages since I saw my friends and I wasn't crying my eyes out.

"Bye, Melody. Have fun tonight."

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

I smirked. "I won't. I'm just going into this with no expectations, and hopefully, it will go better that way."

**_LORI_ **

"Hi, girls!" I greeted Maggie and Beth from my spot in the family room as they strolled down the stairs. They were two of Melody's best friends and we had known the family for years. I really liked them both, they were the epitome of true friends.

"Hi!"

"You should see Melody, she looks stunning!" Beth said with a huge smile on her face.

"I'm sure she does. It was so sweet of you girls to come by and help her get ready."

Maggie nodded. "Of course. She's hiding it, but I know this date means a lot to her. It's the first real date she's been on in a long time, but I don't think she has anything to worry about. We looked the guy up on Facebook, he's hot!"

"I know, isn't he cute?" I asked with a laughing smile.

"Yes, he is! She really lucked out, he sounds like a great guy. I have a feeling that this could be her next serious boyfriend!" Beth squealed.

"Ha, let's hope so, anybody is better than that moron Randall."

"Ugh, don't even remind me. Just hearing his name makes me want to vomit in my mouth." Maggie gave a disgusted look.

"You've got that right. I'm sure she'll be on Cloud Nine after tonight. It was great seeing you both, don't be a stranger!"

"We won't, bye!"

I wasn't sure how much Melody had filled the girls in about Gareth, it seemed like it's all anybody around her could talk about, I just hope her anxiety wouldn't kick into overdrive, because that would strike the possibility of a total disaster. I'm hoping that wouldn't happen, she deserves some happiness for all her hardships.

**_6:15 PM_ **

**_RICK_ **

"I'll get it!" I shouted, although I doubt anybody heard me through the loud barking of the dogs when the doorbell rang. We had four dogs, Melody's Golden Retriever Simba, Carl's Puggle Mugsy, Lori's Pomeranian Butterscotch, and my Siberian Husky Kato. Needless to say, it was quite a handful, but totally worth it. I smiled as I opened the door to see Gareth on the other side. He was dressed in all black with a white button up shirt and carrying a bouquet of flowers. "Hey, Gareth. Come on in. You're early."

"Well, better early than late, right?" He stepped inside, giving me a firm handshake.

"I think so, that's for sure. You look great, nice touch with the flowers."

"Thanks."

"Gareth! What's up, dude?" Carl walked into the foyer, tossing his baseball into his glove.

"Hey, what's going on, kid?" They high-fived each other. Carl had really gotten to know Gareth from all the times he had been to the office, and they got along pretty well.

"Not much, same old, same old. Have fun with my aunt tonight, but don't do anything stupid or I'll have to kick your ass." He cocked his head to the side and pointed at Gareth, who half-smirked.

"Carlton Chandler Grimes! Language!" Lori scolded gently as she ambled behind him. I looked over to see Gareth now fully smirking and Carl bowing his head down and his face red.

"Sorry."

"Can you feed the dogs, please? Thanks, sweetie." Her demeanor totally changed when she saw Gareth. "Hi, Gareth! It's so nice to see you again." Lori walked up and greeted him with an air kiss on both cheeks as Carl walked off.

"Thanks, you too, Mrs. Grimes."

"Please, no need for formalities, call me Lori."

"Alright, Lori. I'm looking forward to meeting your sister."

She smiled at him. "She's an absolute doll, you'll fall in love with her, everybody does."

"Yeah, that's true. Why don't you go get her for us?" I asked, I could tell that Gareth was a little bit embarrassed.

"Alright. I'm sure she's ready by now." Lori went up the stairs as I turned back to Gareth.

"Sorry about that, she's just excited. Melody hasn't been having the easiest of times, ya know?"

"Oh, it's cool, I understand. I have three little sisters, so I know how excited girls get." He said with a smile. "Listen, I was just wondering, what kind of guys does Melody usually date? Like football players or something?"

**_You're asking the married man who just had his tongue in her mouth five days ago._ **

"Ha, no. I'm not sure what to classify her type as, but I'm sure you'll hit it off. Is this your first date back out there since breaking up with your fiancé?"

"Yes, it is."

I gave him a light punch on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it, I'm sure everything will go fine." It was kind of cute how both of them were nervous and didn't want to admit it, I just hope it won't get in the way of them being themselves.

"Lori, when were you going to tell me how disgusting I look?!"

Confused, we both looked up at the staircase to hear the commotion. Melody's room was on the third floor, but since the house is so large and sprawling that any sound echoed off the walls, therefore making their entire conversation audible.

"Melody, hun, what are you talking about? You look stunning!"

"No, I don't! I look like freaking Honey Boo Boo's Mama June and my ass is as big as Kim Kardashian's! How could I let myself go like this?! Tell Rick to cancel the date, this guy is going to see me and crash into something because he'll be running away too fast to get out of here."

"No, he's won't! Relax, he's downstairs waiting for you!"

Gareth looked over at me with a raised eyebrow. "Everything ok?"

"I don't know. Lori!" I shouted up the stairs. "Everybody can hear you, so can you both come on down, please?"

**_MELODY_ **

"Oh, my god! He heard everything we've been saying! Both of them!" I started frantically shaking my head. "I'm mortified now, I can't do this, Lori. I'm sorry, I appreciate the effort immensely, but I can't. This guy is probably a total yuppie, I think we're in completely different ball parks."

"Melody, calm down! You are a wonderful, gorgeous young lady, you've been depressed for six months and you said so yourself that you have nothing to lose and have to get back out there." Lori grabbed my bottle of perfume and gave me a couple sprays. "Don't put too much into it, you're going to have a nice time, but you have to relax. Now, where's that pretty smile?"

I took a deep breath, knowing she was right. This was just a delayed reaction from all the attention this had been getting, which was unnecessary, but I had to rein it in. "You're right, I will." I said with a smile. "I'll just play it cool."

Lori returned the smile. "That's my girl. C'mon, let's go." She grabbed my hand and led me down the stairs to the main staircase, Rick and Gareth were talking at the bottom.. "Sorry about that, just having some last minute girl talk." When the guys turned around and looked over, I could feel my face heat up and my heart skip a beat the moment his eyes meet mine.

**_GARETH_ **

After overhearing Lori and Melody's conversation, I was expecting somebody totally different. Being a guy, I do have a particular type, but I've dated a couple heavy set girls, I just wished that Rick would have shown me an accurate picture. Except when I saw Melody walk down the stairs, I could have sworn I heard the background music from  _Sailor Moon_  whenever Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune walk into the room as their human forms. Seeing Melody literally made my heart stop and my palms clammy, and I couldn't help but feel an immediate sexual attraction to her, like something sparked between us when we made eye contact Melody was utterly gorgeous, even prettier in person than her picture, and I have no idea why she thought she looked like Mama June, because it was farther from the truth, not even in the same league.

"Whoa…" She had long, thick honey brown hair I wanted to run my fingers through and tug, eyes I was already lost in, lips I was dying to kiss for hours, not to mention killer curves, but it wasn't just her sexuality. Melody had such an innocent, vulnerable look to her, that in the end, all I really wanted to do was take her in my arms and never let go.

"Gareth, this is my baby sister, Melody." Lori let go of her and stood next to Rick as Melody walked up to me.

"Hi, I'm Gareth it's really nice to meet you." I had no idea what to do, so I just gave her a hug and kissed her on the cheek, hoping it wasn't too forward. Surprisingly, both were reciprocated and with a smile.

"Hi, I'm Melody… Silverstone. I didn't know if Rick told you my last name, because I'm not a Grimes, but you already knew my first name, my sister just said it a minute ago, so I don't know why I'm telling you again. It's Melody with a "y", not an "ie", so now you really know." She nervously laughed and I couldn't help but smile, she was too damn cute.

"That's f-fine. No worries."

Rick elbowed me, he must have noticed we were both dazed staring at each other. "Gareth, don't you want to give Melody the flowers?"

I glanced over at him. "Hmm? Oh, yes, right. Here," I handed her the bouquet. "I didn't know what kind of flowers you liked, so I got you these rainbow tulips. They're silk, so they'll live on forever."

Melody smiled, smelling the flowers. "Thanks so much, they're beautiful. I love tulips."

"I'll take those." Lori took the flowers. "Have a good time, you two."

"We will, good night you guys." Melody gave them each a hug.

"Enjoy yourself." Rick said.

"Bye, Lori, it was good seeing again. Rick, I'll see you at the office." I opened the door for Melody, and on pure instinct, immediately (but discreetly) checked out her butt as she walked out. Again, I have no idea what mirror she was looking in, because her ass was pretty tiny and nowhere near the size of Kim Kardashian's.

**_MELODY_ **

"So, where's your car?" I kind of had the jitters, this guy was so cute! Cute was an understatement, he was a prime hottie. Gareth was tall and lean, with brown hair, greenish-brown eyes, and a heart melting smile, which I noticed he has two little fangs that were absolutely adorable. All in all, he is absolutely my type. Seeing how good looking he was made me a bit nervous that I would say something stupid, he had already overheard my conversation with Lori, which I'm still embarrassed over, but I'm going to shake it off. After all, so far I was getting a good vibe, he was already proving to be a total gentleman.

"It's that one right there." Gareth nodded his head out to a metallic root beer colored Jaguar XKR convertible with a blue top, and I knew my jaw had just dropped to the floor.

"Your car is gorgeous! I love Jaguars, they're classic."

"I think so, too. Allow me." He stepped aside and opened the door for me, and I smiled as it Gullwinged upwards.

"Whoa! Your car is like  _Tron_!" I said as I got in the front seat.

"Uh, thanks." He smiled awkwardly before closing my door, and I felt like an idiot.

""Your car is like  _Tron_ "?! What are you, stupid?!"

"I'm sorry, did you say something?" Gareth opened his door and got in the driver's seat.

"Huh? Me? No…" I looked around for a distraction. "Yes! Yes, I did. I said that I really like your choice of interiors." This was true. Warm charcoal leather with blue stitching trim and black piano veneers, it was all so suave.

"Thank you, I like it, too."

'I'm sorry." I blurted out, unable believe that I had once again said something stupid.

"Excuse me?"

I took a deep breath and looked over at him, unsure if I would regret what I was about to say. "I said I'm sorry. I'm not usually so off the wall, it's just that this is my first date date in a really long time and you're so cute and I guess you can say I'm kind of nervous." I looked away, was it the right thing to say? Maybe I should just leave, I'm obviously not ready to date yet. My hand had wrapped around the door handle when I felt Gareth's hand lightly grab my other one, causing me to look into his eyes.

"Hey, it's alright. I understand things haven't been easy, and I get what it's like. If it makes you feel any better, this is my first date back out there, too."

"Really?"

He nodded. "Mmhmm. Let's go out and have a good time and if you want, I'll tell you all about it."

I smiled. "Ok, sure. Let's do it." There was something so sincere and warm about him, I could feel myself relaxing a little.

"Alright." He smiled and squeezed my hand before letting go and turning the key in the ignition, the car coming alive as it went into drive. I couldn't believe that he had actually tried to comfort me, any other guy either wouldn't have said anything and acted oblivious or shrug and say "whatever". Maybe Gareth was one of the good guys after all. While things had gotten off to an awkward start, perhaps the whole evening wasn't doomed. Either way, I knew it was going to be a very long night...

**_Reviews are encouraged! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW AND SPREAD THE WORD, NO FLAMES!_ **


	6. Oh, What A Night, Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After getting off to an awkward start, Melody and Gareth relax and get to know each other. Gareth opens up to Melody about his struggles growing up and she reveals her angst regarding Aiden. Following an unbelievable night, a second date is planned, with both young adults walking on air. Sorry for the sucky summary, please read and review! No flames!

**Hi everybody! I hope this date is well received, I put a lot of heart, soul, and thought into this!**

**_DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NOR HAVE ANY AFFILIATIONS WITH THE WALKING DEAD OR OH, WHAT A NIGHT. ALL PROPERTIES OWNED BY FRANK DARABONT AND AMC (TELEVISION SERIES), ROBERT KIRKMAN AND TONY MOORE (COMIC BOOK SERIES), THE FOUR SEASONS, BOB GAUDIO AND JUDY PARKER, RESPECTIVELY. I ONLY OWN MY OWN ORIGINAL IDEAS AND CHARACTERS._ **

**_Chapter Six: Oh, What A Night, Part Two_ **

**_LORI_ **

"Oh, my gosh! That was so sweet! I think it was definitely love at first sight." I smiled widely as I watched Gareth's Jaguar drive off from the living room.

"I don't know what you'd call it. This is his first date back out there, too, he broke up with his fiancé earlier this year." Rick said, leaned against the living room wall.

"Oh, come on, Rick! It was so obvious that there's an attraction! Did you see the way they were just kind of staring at each other? It was so freaking cute!" I walked over and threw my arms around his neck before giving him a big kiss. "It reminded me of when you and I were first dating."

"What, puppy love?" Rick asked, smiling as he wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Yep. I mean, Melody never looked like that with Randall. Tried to, but it just wasn't there like it is with Gareth. I think you may finally have a new brother-in-law!"

"Don't jump the gun just yet, Lori. It's only their first date, and who knows how that will turn out?"

I couldn't help but keep the smile on my face, I was so overjoyed with such a happiness, it was most likely the pregnancy glow. "I have a feeling it won't be the last."

**_TWENTY MINUTES LATER_ **

**_GARETH_ **

"I'm glad that somebody else in Southern California knows what it's like to endure the hell of being a San Francisco Giants fan surrounded by psycho Dodger fans!"

"I know, right? We get so much flack for it, but when was the last time the Dodgers were even in the World Series? 1988? I'm nervous for my boys though, I'm not sure if they'll be making it to this World Series. That 17-0 game was a nightmare!"

"Don't worry, they'll come back." The date was off to an interesting start so far. It seemed as if both of us were nervous, which made our awkwardness come out. All in all, Melody was a really sweet girl, not to mention strikingly beautiful, and she thought I was cute, which made me happy. There was something about her that I was immediately drawn to, and I couldn't wait to figure out what it was. We actually had a lot in common so far, pretty much the same taste in music and TV shows, _True Blood_ and _Breaking Bad_ in particular, and now to find she's a San Francisco Giants fan? Where the hell had this creature been hiding all this time? I was curious to find out as much as I could. "So, why don't you tell me a little bit about yourself, other than your interests?"

"I'm a makeup artist and photographer, I just graduated in June from Cinema Makeup School, I'm a licensed cosmetologist through Make-Up Designory and I also have my Associate's Degree in English."

"Wow, that's impressive. Are you going to try getting work at one of the big studios?"

"Eventually, I will. Right now I work for Vivid Entertainment." Melody started laughing, even her laugh was cute. Then again, as of now, everything about this girl was positively adorable. "Sorry, it's just kind of weird, like "Hi, nice to meet you, I work in porn!""

"Ha, it's fine, we all have to start somewhere. How'd you end up working there?"

"Merle Dixon and my mom go way back, he got us both jobs there, me for makeup and she works in production. He's a real mench, so is his brother, Daryl, and yes, it's Daryl "Dick's On" Dixon. That name cracks me up, it's pretty clever."

"I know who he is, that Darren Aronofsky film he and Amanda Bynes were in was good. What about your family? It seems like you and your sister are pretty close."

"Yes, we are. My parent's got divorced when I was eight, my dad is remarried, my mom isn't, and I have three half sisters. Lori and I have the same mom, she's twelve years older than me. Penny is twelve and Meghan is seven, they're from my dad's second marriage. Oh and my step mom is only fifteen years older than me."

"How old are you?" I know it wasn't polite to ask a woman her age, but she couldn't have been much older than eighteen, maybe nineteen.

"How old do I look?" Melody glanced over, winking flirtatiously. It had only been twenty five minutes since meeting her and she was already getting me to smile more than I had on any other first date.

"Honestly? You look like you could still be in high school."

"You're very sweet, thank you. Thank God I'm not in high school anymore. I swear, some days I wake up thinking that I didn't graduate and I'm still there!"

"I'm with you on that one. High school was not fun for me, either. I barely remember it, to be honest. I was either working or studying."

"I didn't work in high school, I wish I would have. To answer your question, I'll be turning twenty one on December 12th. How old are you, twenty five, twenty six?"

"I'll be turning twenty eight on November 22nd."

"Ahh, you're a Scorpio, interesting."

I glanced over at her. "Interesting? How so?"

"Oh, it's not a bad thing. You're a Water sign, Sagittarius is a Fire sign, and I always thought it didn't fit me. Anyways, what were you saying?"

"I was about to ask if you're close with your little sisters?"

"Unfortunately I'm not, I only see them a few times a year if I'm lucky. I don't know how much Rick told you, but I've had some issues before, and my father doesn't think that I'm a good example to be around my sisters. Him and I don't have the best of relationships." She looked down, I could tell this was obviously a touchy subject. I wanted to grab her hand again, but was unsure if it would be crossing boundaries or come off as clingy.

"You aren't alone, Melody. I have sort of a unique family situation myself."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her look over. "Really? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"No, it's cool." I don't normally open up this soon to somebody, I'm a bit more guarded, but Melody seemed so inviting and non judgmental that I felt like I could tell her anything. "My mom Mary was an opera singer in San Francisco. She met my father, who was a cellist, when they were performing in Rome. They fell in love, got married, and had me and my brother, Alex. Things were fine in the San Francisco suburbs, or so it seemed. When I was eight and my brother was five, our mom decided she could no longer live a lie and came out as a lesbian. She and our dad got a divorce, and he pretty much left us. My dad moved to Boston to play in their Philharmonic Orchestra, and I decided I never wanted to speak to him again. The fact that he would leave behind his children because he was ashamed by their mother, it really disgust me and I didn't want to be associated with anybody like that. Alex was pretty sad over it, I blame his age, because it sunk in when he got older. Opera gigs are kind of a dime a dozen, so my mom became a singing teacher to make some extra money. Since her family pretty much shunned her for being gay, I took it upon myself to pick up the slack for us. A family friend of ours, Dale, he worked for the Giants and got me a job as a batboy. When I was fourteen, my mom met Carol, an art teacher and struggling painter who had been a victim of abuse for most of her life. She had decided she was never going to be with men again after her bastard husband Ed tried to kill her and her one year old daughter, Sophia. They fell madly in love, Carol and Sophia moved in with us, and it was around that time that I became a Starbucks barista. My bat boy gig was coming to a close because of my age and I had to find a way to make ends meet, so I had Starbucks and my own side business going, too. We took in Lizzie a few years later, a girl who was the only survivor of a car crash that killed her entire family, as a foster child, but Carol adopted her. Not too long after that, they pretty much spent half of their entire life savings on in-vitro fertilization to have my little sister Mika. Needless to say, despite both the jobs my moms had, I was still a huge provider. I worked two jobs to support my family and took care of my siblings while our moms were at work, along with juggling school. It just goes to show that in a city of artists and same sex lovers, there's also haters, but judgment and derision follow a person anywhere. This past year in Southern California has been a complete metamorphosis for all of us. It's only been within that time that I've been financially comfortable and I'm still not used to it. I like to think of myself as pretty grounded, though, and I don't take anything or anybody for granted."

With the only exception being "Habits (Stay High)" by Tove Lo playing on the radio, there was a silence following my confession, which left me a little uneasy. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything just yet, and what I had said may have been too much, it was quite a plethora. I was about to open my mouth to change the subject when Melody spoke.

"Wow, that's certainly a lot. I've only known you for a half hour, but I can tell that you do seem really grounded and genuine. I can also tell you first hand that it's not easy at all growing up with hardships, but at the end of it all, it makes you stronger. You guys sound like you're a real family of survivors that all sincerely love and care about one another."

She really was a sweetheart, most people would have been weirded out or completely changed the subject. Unlike my ex-fiance, who had to adjust to the fact that I had two mothers, Melody didn't seem to have any qualms about what I had just admitted. "My thoughts exactly." I could tell I was really starting to like this girl.

**_MELODY_ **

"Two of my best friends are gay, and they endured a lot of struggling, so I can only imagine what it was like for your mom. Tara went through the same thing, Stefon's family not so much, but whether or not there's family support, there's still the pig headed opinions of others. I've gotten into a few fights about it, I like to think I'm fiercely protective of all my friends, but I'm probably the most protective over Tara and Stefon. They can fend for themselves, but it's just the maternal instinct in me, I guess." I laughed at myself, relieved that I had definitely relaxed, but now I was touched that Gareth had opened up to me about his family. His honesty was refreshing, unlike Randall, who I dated on and off for two years and still didn't know everything about him. It's not good to compare dates to ex boyfriends, but Gareth was _nothing_ at all like Randall. Gareth was intelligent, urbane, down to earth, and witty with an underlined sexiness and impeccable style. The whole black suit/white shirt combination was so tasteful, and the facial stubble actually added to his allure and outlined his amazing lips and jaw. Bottom line, he was exactly what I wanted and what I needed, I felt like we already had a connection.

"You seem like the protective type, they're lucky to have you."

"Thanks. So, I've seen pretty much all your work, and it's just extraordinary. You're very imaginative and talented, a total natural. My favorite would have to be the Got Milk? revival or the Alexander McQueen ads. It's just nice to put a face to Woodbury's Wonder Boy."

"Wonder Boy?" He looked over at me and smiled. This guy had the charm of a teenage pop idol, therefore, Gareth Mandel was simply irresistible, and I couldn't help but hope that there'd be a kiss between us at the end of the night.

"Yes, that's what I've been calling you for the past year, and I think it's kind of odd that we never met until now. I didn't see you at the Christmas party, and I'm at the office at least once a month, but I got to see Martin the Moron plenty of times."

Gareth busted up laughing. "Martin the Moron? Like Marvin the Martian?"

"Yep."

"That's funny, you're a crack up. And what makes Martin a moron?"

"Where do I start? Besides the fact that he looks like he's always stoned, he's just a total pervert who is always making a pass at me."

"I can imagine that a lovely, gorgeous girl like yourself gets a lot of unwanted attention." Gareth glanced over at me with a suggestive look. I knew my cheeks were burning and my inner self was jumping up and down, squealing, but I had to play it cool. "I get what you're saying though, he can be a bit obnoxious at times, but opposites attract and we work well together for the most part."

"Actually, I really wanted to meet you and tell you what an outstanding job you're doing, but every time I was at Woodbury you weren't, we had just missed each other."

"We're here now, aren't we?"

I smiled and nodded. "Mmhmm." It seemed like the attraction was mutual I could tell.

"And we're here now, too." He pulled up to what looked like a back alley and rolled down the window when the valet approached the door. "Hi, how are you? It's a Gullwing door, I'll do it." Gareth got out of the car and walked around, holding his hand out to me. "You ready?"

"Sure am." I took his hand and stepped out of the car as the second valet closed it, and I could feel the butterflies flapping around when Gareth didn't let go of my hand as we walked inside the building. "Where are we?"

"It's called Opaque, dining in the dark. I figured we could get to know each other on a deeper level rather than looks being such a main aspect. It's about the experience more than anything, really. I've been to the one in San Francisco and it's quite a treat. Would you rather go somewhere else?"

I shook my head. "No, not at all! This is really unique, I've heard about this place, and I'm always up for trying new things."

"Good." Gareth smiled, leading the way into a lounge that had multicolored lights and satin chairs all over with silver beaded curtains.

"Welcome to Opaque, may I have your name?" A short blonde man with amber eyes greeted us as we approached the desk.

"Good evening, the reservation is under Mandel for two at 7:00 pm."

The man looked at the reservation book and smiled. "Ahh, Mandel, here it is." After we placed our order, we followed him to the back of the longue where a tall and spotlessly dressed Hispanic woman with long black hair and dark glasses was waiting for us. "Margarita will be your server for the evening. She is one hundred percent blind and you'll be able to experience what a day in her life is like, we hope you enjoy dining in the dark."

"Thank you."

"Hi, I'm Margarita, if you could please put your right hand on my right shoulder and so on with the person behind you, we'll be ready to go."

"Alright." Gareth put his hand on Margarita's shoulder, still holding on to my hand as we followed her into the dining area. When we walked in, I kept blinking, it was complete pitch black darkness. A part of me started to feel claustrophobic, but another part was excited.

"There's no more grabbing of the wall." Margarita said, sitting us down. "Your other senses will now be one hundred percent heightened through this experience. I'll be back with your drinks."

"Whoa, this is crazy! I can't see a thing!" I kept waving my hand in front of my face, but it was pure darkness. "Is my voice that loud?"

Gareth laughed. "No, you're not. That's the natural reaction, you'll get adjusted in a few minutes."

"Hopefully. So, you were going to tell me about how this is your first time back in the dating scene?"

He cleared his throat as Margarita set our drinks down. "Well, I was with my fiancé Theresa since we met in art school back in San Francisco. We got engaged not too long after the Disney deal was finalized, and then at the beginning of the year, I come home early from work one day to surprise her but instead I found Theresa doing some not so appropriate things with the dimwitted pool boy in our bed."

Hearing his story simply broke my heart. How could somebody do such a thing, especially to such a great guy like Gareth? "Oh, my gosh. I'm so sorry about that, Gareth, but you deserve better than somebody that would take you for granted." That was true, I personally think that anybody that stays with a cheater is weak minded. Besides, why should a person force themselves to stay with somebody that clearly doesn't value and respect them?

"Thanks, that's sweet of you. Everything happens for a reason, but we had been growing apart for a while. The engagement was sort of a last resort, but Sam the pool boy was the last straw. Theresa moved in with him, I threw myself into my work, and that's how that story goes. She didn't like how I had changed so much since settling into So Cal. I used to be a vegan hipster, now I'm a carnivore yuppie, or as I like to think of it, a "yipster". I went from walking everywhere to driving a Jag and having a personal trainer, I even changed my last name. It's Mandelbaumowitz, I shortened it to Mandel. Theresa thought I wasn't being true to myself, but I am, I was just adapting."

Gareth's ex was clearly foolish, she had given up such a fantastic guy, but maybe her loss was my gain? I couldn't help but get the feeling that I had met him somewhere before though. "You're right, it is adapting, changes are part of life. At least you have your family and everybody at Woodbury."

"Well, you know what they say, no man is an island." He chuckled.

I felt myself gasp as soon as I heard him and it hit me right then and there where the familiar feeling was coming from. Gareth was a lot like Aiden. Outgoing, determined, sensitive, not to mention they kind of look alike, and now they even had the same quote of "No man is an island" by John Bonne. Aiden said it quite frequently, he also used it for the quote under his senior portrait for our 12th grade yearbook.

"Are you ok, Melody?"

I could feel my breath hitch in my throat, panic consume me, and my eyes watering, for I was now utterly embarrassed and in a state of shock. This was a cruel twist of fate for me to meet somebody that was so much like Aiden only to remind me that I could never have him, that I would never see him again, hear his voice or feel his touch, he was truly gone. It hit me all so fast that I couldn't control myself as I burst into tears right there at the table.

**_GARETH_ **

I have no idea what I said that made Melody start crying, but I felt awful. It was the last thing that I wanted to do at all, and I had to find a way to calm her down. "Melody, please don't cry." It was hard to do anything because it was pitch black in the dining room, but I had to improvise. I felt the edges of the table and grabbed a napkin before I got down to my knees until I was in front of her, hearing some of the silverware drop. "What's wrong? You can tell me."

"I'm sorry, it's just that my best friend Aiden used to say that quote all the time, "No man is an island". He passed away six months ago and he was always the one that got away. His death really hit me hard, especially because I think he had feelings for me, too. We'll never know what could have been, and I've embarrassed myself in front of you again. First you heard my conversation with Lori, and now this. I feel like an idiot."

I was glad that she couldn't see the sad look on my face, because it might have made it worse, but I really did feel bad for her. She was an absolute mess, a beautiful disaster, and even though we had only known each other for about an hour, I hated seeing her like this. "Melody, I have no idea where my hands are, so feel free to push them away." My hands started moving up her silky smooth legs, one hand rested on her knee and the other made it's way from her lap and arm until coming into contact with her cheek. "I heard about Aiden, and I know what it's like to lose somebody, I really do. It's devastating and tragic, especially how he died, and it's all so surreal to know that that person you cared about more than anything is really gone." Her sniffling decreased as I tried my best to wipe her tears. Even though my eyes had adjusted to the dark, I still had to feel around to make sure I wasn't touching something I shouldn't. "I don't think you're an idiot at all. Nobody is perfect, we all have issues and insecurities. I'm actually having a really great time with you, I think you're a very beautiful girl, inside _and_ out. I like you, Melody." Had my brother Alex been here, he would have told me I was a total moron, that you're not supposed to give up your feelings so quickly, especially on a first date, except something about revealing myself felt right. I hoped my forwardness wouldn't scare her off, but it really was how I felt in the little time we had spent together.

Melody stopped crying and took a deep breath. "I like you, too, Gareth, and I'm really glad you're being so tolerant and thoughtful. Thank you." Even in the darkness, I could have sworn I saw her smile. It was in that moment where I really wanted to kiss her and hoped I'd get a chance to later.

**_TWO HOURS LATER_ **

**_MELODY_ **

"So, any deep dark secrets?" I asked. Gareth and I had a really fantastic dinner, despite my little moment. Dining in the dark was an incredible experience, and it intensified my senses, and everything I put in my mouth felt and tasted like the first time I ever ate filet mignon or chocolate lava cake. and now we were walking along the Santa Monica Pier, hand in hand. The lights from the rides contrasted perfectly with the starry sky as couples and families walked up and down the pier, the waves softly crashing along with the faint sound of seagulls. It was all pretty romantic, and I couldn't remember the last time I felt this comfortable with a guy. Gareth's understanding when I cried only made everything feel all the more magical.

"This is kind of embarrassing, but I watch that _Real Housewives_ crap with my moms, even though I think it's ridiculous."

"Me, too! Me, my mom, my grandma, and Lori watch all of them! It's hilarious, such a guilty pleasure."

He laughed. "I know, right? Not to mention it's all scripted. What about you?"

I hesitated, deciding to play it safe. "I have a tattoo. Lori and I got them on my eighteenth birthday two years ago. Not a lot of people know about it, if my mom found out, she'd kill us. We're Jewish and had family in the Holocaust."

"Your secret is safe with me, Melody. I have a tattoo and I'm Jewish, also. Carol has her whole back done, actually."

"Well, maybe one day we can show them to each other." I boldly said, implying that there could be a second date, but the vibe was totally in the air.

We stopped walking and Gareth looked at me as we leaned on the pier railing. "Yeah, I'd like that."

I could feel my face heating up and I looked out at the ocean, trying to contain myself. This was so unlike me, to get this soft over a guy I just met, and I wasn't sure exactly how to feel about it. "Look, dolphins!" I gasped as I pointed out to two dolphins swimming up and down.

"Whoa, that's so cool! I had no idea they swam at night."

I nodded. "They sure do. I love dolphins." I glanced over at him with a laughing smile on my face as our eyes met.

There was silence as we stared at one another, like the rest of the world had been tuned out, I could feel my heart beat accelerate by the look in his eyes. I didn't know what it was, but I know that nobody had looked at me like that, not Randall or Shane or anybody. The only person I could think of was… Aiden. That was how he looked at me the last time I saw him two years ago. My heart was wanting to cry, but my head told me to stay strong, and I was pretty sure of what was going to happen next. Gareth pushed my hair back with one hand before both hands cupped my cheeks, pulling me in closer to him. I put my hands on his shoulders and leaned up, our lips simultaneously meeting.

When I closed my eyes, my senses became entranced, just like they were earlier at Opaque. He tasted like strawberry Icebreakers and smelled like pine needles, his touch was so light as his fingers stroked my checks. My mind became flooded with all the great kisses from all the romances, and I knew this could be one of them. This _was_ one of them. Instinctively, I felt my foot pop up and could feel myself smiling into the kiss. For the first time in six months, I was able to feel something other than sadness. I was feeling what it was like to be happy, to be alive, and it was all because of this one little kiss. When we pulled away, I had to do everything to contain the sappy smile that was threatening to spread across my lips, I didn't want to seem like more of an idiot than I already came off as I'm sure, so I opted for a small grin instead. He smiled, his fangs popping out, and I could feel my heart melting.

"When can I see you again, Melody?"

" ** _THINK FAST!"_**

**_GARETH_ **

Before she could answer me, some jackass kid on a skateboard whizzed by and lifted her skirt up.

"Ahh!" Melody shrieked, the surprise move had caused her to trip, thank goodness I caught her just in time.

"Nice panties, babe!" The kid laughed, rolling off.

"Hey, you get back here right now and apologize to her, you punk!" I turned around and shouted, but the kid was too far gone. "Are you alright, Melody?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just glad you were here to catch me."

I smiled down at her. "Anytime. Here," I took my jacket off and wrapped it around her shoulders. "To prevent something like that from happening again."

"Thanks."

"So, can I see you again?"

Melody smiled and nodded, and I knew the vibe I had been feeling all night was reciprocated. "Absolutely."

**_7:30 AM_ **

"Star Wars is awesome, my favorite of the prequels is definitely _Revenge of the Sith_ , but nothing beats the originals."

"I agree. We're doing the print work for the newest one and I can't believe it, talk about a dream come true." I said as I walked Melody to her door, hand in hand. After the pier, we went to the beach for some privacy and ended up spending the whole night talking and making out. Since I hadn't really had the time to date back in the day, I imagine that this is what it's like to date in high school. Either way, it felt fantastic to spend time and have a strong connection with such a wonderful girl like Melody. We already made plans for a second date later that night to go to a movie, and I couldn't be happier.

"I already know that you guys will kill it. Hey, Gareth?"

"Yes?"

She took a deep breath as we stopped in front of the door. Melody looked so cute in my jacket that was a size too big and went to her knees, I couldn't help but stare. Her makeup had faded away, she was a natural beauty with or without it.

"I do have a secret that I want to share with you."

I raised an eyebrow as she looked up at me. "Oh? Do tell." Melody started giggling, which only added to her charm. "It's alright, you can tell me anything, Melody."

"OK. Well, I've wanted to tell you all night that I think you're a handsome guy and I've wanted to kiss you since you calmed me down at Opaque. I wanted to kiss you right then and there, I almost did, but it was so dark I was worried I'd fall flat on my face."

Cracking a smile, I couldn't believe that we had both wanted to kiss each other at the exact same time. "Really, you did?"

"Mmhmm. Of course I did, you're a hottie. I mean, it's irrelevant now considering we spent more than half the night making out, but I wanted to tell you that."

While I could tell she was a little shy, I knew that Melody had a great confidence that people yearned for. "Is there anything stopping you now? You can't just say that and not do anything."

"Well now I really can't because it's out there. You're expecting it."

"Fine, then I'll have to wait for another time, like later tonight, but I'm holding you to it. Pick you up at 8?"

She nodded. "Sounds great. I'll see you then. Bye, Gareth. It was really great meeting you."

"You, too, Melody." I leaned down and gave her a tender kiss. "Bye." I watched her walk inside, knowing I still had the grin on my face. I was about to open the door to my car when I realized I forgot my jacket. "Damnit." Looking over at the door, I decided to just walk back and knock quietly, only to see Melody walking out at the same time. "Hey, I'm glad you came out, I forgot my-" Out of nowhere, Melody grabbed me by the collar of my shirt and pulled me in, smashing her lips on mine. My eyes widened from the shock, but I adjusted, wrapping my arms around her waist as hers were around my neck. It was probably the steamiest kiss I've ever had, our tongues crossing in each other's mouths, I could feel myself getting-

"Ahem."

We looked over to see three older women in their seventies wearing visors, sunglasses, and track suits, all of them had Chihuahuas. The judgmental looks on their faces caught me off guard.

"Uh, hi."

Melody smiled politely at them. "Oh, hi, Mrs. Kirkman, Mrs. Darabont, Mrs. Gimple-Moore. Isn't it a gorgeous morning?"

"Hmmph! Kids today have no manners, sucking face in broad daylight." One of them murmured as they all walked off. I looked over at Melody and we started laughing.

"Wow, that was one for the books."

"I know, right? You got your unexpected kiss."

"I sure did, it was really something, too."

"It was sexy. I'm glad you're here, you forgot your-"

I shook my head. "It's fine, keep it. Get some sleep and I'll see you tonight, beautiful." I gave her a final kiss good bye and watched her walk inside. She turned around and smiled.

"Until then. Good night, Wonder Boy." Melody shot me a wink as she closed the door.

"Good night." I walked off, feeling on top of the world. Successful first date, check. Second date, check. Who knows what was next, but I do know I hadn't felt this happy or crazy about a girl in a long, long time.

**_MELODY_ **

As I watched Gareth's car drive away, I finally let out a low squeal and silently clapped my hands. "He likes me, he likes me! He thinks I'm beautiful! I'm a pretty girl." I giggled as I skipped up the stairs. After all that, my nervousness was premature, because this had turned out to be one of the best dates I had ever been on with one of the most incredible guys I had ever met.

It's official. I had fallen for Gareth Mandel, Wonder Boy of Woodbury, and I had fallen _hard._

**_Reviews are encouraged! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW AND SPREAD THE WORD, NO FLAMES!_ **


	7. Half and Whole

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A month has passed since Melody's first date with Gareth, and they have seen each other almost every night since then. Gareth arrives to pick her up to go to Glenn and Maggie's housewarming dinner party to meet the rest of her friends, after not having seen her for a week. Following a steamy moment, surprises for both Gareth and Melody are in store. Stefon instantly likes Gareth.

**Hi everybody! Loving the feedback about Garody's date! Brace yourselves, because it won't be smooth sailing all the way! I'm excited to see what you all think! :) Sorry if Carl seems a bit out of character, this is how I think he would be acting had there not been a zombie apocalypse.**

**_DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NOR HAVE ANY AFFILIATIONS WITH THE WALKING DEAD, BUBBLY, OR HOT. ALL PROPERTIES OWNED BY FRANK DARABONT AND AMC (TELEVISION SERIES), ROBERT KIRKMAN AND TONY MOORE (COMIC BOOK SERIES), COLBIE CAILLAT, AND AVRIL LAVIGNE, RESPECTIVELY. I ONLY OWN MY OWN ORIGINAL IDEAS AND CHARACTERS._ **

**_Chapter Seven: Half and Whole_ **

**_A MONTH LATER_ **

**_MELODY_ **

" ** _I've been awake for a while now_**

**_You've got me feelin' like a child now_ **

**_'Cause every time I see your bubbly face_ **

**_I get the tingles in a silly place_ **

**_It starts in my toes_ **

**_And I crinkle my nose_ **

**_Wherever it goes_ **

**_I always know_ **

**_That you make me smile_ **

**_Please stay for a while now_ **

**_Just take your time_ **

**_Wherever you go"_ **

I giggled to myself in the mirror as I finished straightening my hair, singing along to "Bubbly" by Colbie Caillat. It had been so long since I had heard that song, I even forgot it was in my iTunes library, but I suppose I was just in a bubbly kind of mood, and it was all thanks to a special somebody.

"Melody's got a boyfriend, Melody's got a boyfriend!"

Unfortunately, my day dreaming was interrupted by the annoying chants of Carl barging into my room.

"Shut up! He's not my boyfriend. What are you doing in here anyway?" I turned the straightner off as Carl flopped on my bed. Don't get me wrong, I love the kid, but lately he's become very obnoxious, and I have no idea as to why. Things were going well for him so far at school, he and his best friend Patrick made the baseball team, they weren't getting bullied mercilessly like I was, what was making him act like an imbecile?

"I'm bored, and yes, he is. You've been seeing him every day for over a month."

"Not every day..." It just  _felt_  like it was, except I actually hadn't seen Gareth in person in a week, but we talked on FaceTime and Skype while he and Rick were on a five day business trip in Tokyo for their meeting with Mikimoto. He offered to take me with him, but I got called in to work and was hired to do makeup for some parties.

I had been expecting him to cancel our date for the night after our first, but he didn't, validating that it wasn't making plans on a whim and backing out later, which had happened to me so many times before. Ever since our first date, we've been kind of inseparable. We went out to dinner a few more times, to the movies and museums, he even got me to go bungee jumping and sky diving. Sometimes we opted to keep it low key with takeout and Netflix, we both loved  _Portlandia_ and  _Orange is the New Black_. Gareth Mandel was nothing like any guy I've ever dated before. Then again, I've never really dated, I've either had boyfriends after hanging out one time or I've had meaningless flings, this was what actual dating was with somebody that I assumed cared about me. Randall couldn't even watch an entire episode of  _SMASH_ but Gareth sat through almost three hours of  _Jersey Boys_ , he took great interest in the things I like. To me, it was irrelevant that he had more money than he knew what to do with. When I talked, Gareth actually listened to what I had to say. He's sweet and attentive and charismatic, it's refreshing to have an authentic conversation with somebody on the same intelligence level, and he makes me laugh.

This was still so new to me, and I felt unsure of how to embrace it. He held nothing back, I knew pretty much everything there was to know, but I still haven't dived in one hundred percent. I kept getting this feeling like there was something hidden or missing, like I was waiting for a fault to present itself. For example, while we have chemistry in pretty much every aspect, physically it's off the charts, yet he hasn't tried anything on me. Most guys would have been ripping my shirt off or begging me to get into bed with them, but Gareth's hands didn't even travel past my waist or hips, and we've had some pretty steamy make out sessions. On my couch, in the back seat of his car, me straddling him in the front seat, sometimes in public. Is he just really respectful or is he possibly gay? No, he can't be gay, I know he's attracted to me sexually, I've felt it when we're pressed up against each other. Considering my past in regards to sex and the idiots I've been with, I'm not the most sophisticated in bed, but there was something about Gareth that made me want to demolish that wall and simply go wild n' crazy. At the same time, I was also embarrassed thinking that I'd be a huge disappointment in his eyes. Another thing is that he's been to my house plenty of times, but I've never been to his. He likes me, I like him, why am I second-guessing every little thing? Why couldn't I open myself all the way? Everybody around me keeps saying I have to let my guard down, to let him in, that I've been through so much my entire life that I deserve some happiness, but why did I feel like our courtship had an expiration date on it? I was already halfway, but was I afraid of completely falling head over heels in love? While I have told Gareth about what happened to me and my mom, I have yet to tell him about who my father really is or my affair with Shane or kissing Rick, the latter had really been eating away at me. Whenever I saw my sister, my heart would sink knowing how I had ultimately betrayed her, and it took everything in me-whether it be on a walk or watching  _Once Upon A Time_ , or even at the dinner table- to not blurt out "I kissed your husband!". It was scaring not knowing if I would ever be forgiven.

The one thing I did know was that despite my doubts and reservations, I had improved. Within the past month, I hadn't been crying as much and began taking better care of myself. I went to Zumba with Maggie and for walks with Lori on a regular basis, I stopped picking my skin and started whitening my teeth, I had lost a few pounds and some of my old clothes were starting to fit again. My moods had changed dramatically as well, I was less cynical and more cheerful. I was starting to look good and feel better, but what's holding me back?

"He is so your boyfriend, Aunt Melody. I've seen you kissing in his car and on the couch, you don't do things like that with somebody that's not your boyfriend."

I rolled my eyes as I tightened the sash on my blue and pink kimono before I put my makeup on. "Ok, fine. He's more than a friend, that's for sure, but he is not my official boyfriend." Gareth and I were obviously more than friends with benefits, we hadn't even slept together yet, but was he my unofficial boyfriend? The thought made me a bit jumpy  _and_ excited.

" ** _You make me so hot_**

**_Make me wanna drop_ **

**_It's so ridiculous_ **

**_I can barely stop_ **

**_I can hardly breathe_ **

**_You make me wanna scream"_**

When "Hot" by Avril Lavigne started playing from my phone, I could feel my face heating up, knowing I was more or less busted. Carl looked over to see that the text was from Gareth and started laughing. "It's from your not boyfriend. "Hey, gorgeous, I'm at the front door. Can't wait to see your beautiful face." And he put a little heart! Why do you have him in your phone as "Hot Lips"?" For some reason, he found that to be hilarious, and I almost didn't notice he grabbed my phone. "I'm gonna show him this what his caller ID comes up as."

"Carl, put my phone down, now!"

"Melody and Gareth, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Carl ran out of the room guffawing, and I had no choice but to run after him.

"Carl, get back here!"

**_GARETH_ **

"Hey, Rick. How's it going?" I asked as I stepped inside the Grimes house to pick up Melody. Melody, Melody. Her name alone made me smile, but seeing her beautiful face in person was just unreal. We had gone out pretty much every night since our first date, sometimes during the day, but I hadn't actually seen her since before Rick and I left for Tokyo last week.

After that incredibly sexy kiss, Melody had most definitely come out of her shell more and let her true self shine. In my opinion, the fact that she had some reservations and moments of gaucheness only added to Melody's allure, because she was pretty outgoing most of the time. She appreciated the little things that so many people would overlook, and it was quite refreshing, even though she had a tendency to get a bit pessimistic at times, but who doesn't? Following my relationship with Theresa, I was definitely jaded, but being around Melody I had no inhibitions and opened up more than I thought I was capable of. I just hoped she knew I didn't see her as a rebound in the slightest, because I was genuinely falling for her.

We obviously have a strong connection, but our physical attraction alone was through the roof. Whether we were kissing for five seconds or three hours, I couldn't get enough and I had to do everything in my power not to put my hands underneath her clothes or tear them off all together. Bearing in mind her emotional state, I decided I would wait until she was ready to take things to the next level, I didn't want to pressure Melody. That and despite what my brother thinks, sleeping together prematurely could ruin a blossoming relationship, which my moms agreed with me on. All in all, I had genuinely fallen for Melody, but there was still this plaguing thought in the back of my mind that us meeting was part of the reason why I was getting my raise and promotion. Honestly, I didn't know if I should say anything, because it might just cause me to lose her.

"It's getting pretty serious with you two, huh? I meant to ask you in Tokyo, but we were so swept up with the meetings." Rick seemed like he had something on his mind, but I don't think he was in the mood to talk about it.

"Ha, I know. That's not even the most of it, there's still the presentation next month to finally reel them in, but I know we'll accomplish exactly what we want." Before I could reply to his initial question, all four of the family dogs came trotting up, wagging their tails as their tongues hung out of their mouths. "Hey, guys." They were all cute, but Simba and Butterscotch had really grown on me. I looked over at Rick as I pet them. "To answer your question, yes, they are. I can't thank you enough for setting me up with her, Rick. She's one hell of a girl."

" ** _CARLTON CHANDLER! GIVE ME BACK MY PHONE RIGHT NOW, YOU LITTLE SHIT!"_**

We looked up to see Carl laughing hysterically as Melody chased him back and forth throughout the second floor, which made the dogs follow suit as well.

"Melody's got a boyfriend, Melody's got a boyfriend! I'm gonna tell him that you still sleep with Pooh Bear."

"Cworal, cut it out!" Rick scolded as the two of them neared the second floor staircase. I was trying not to laugh, it brought me back to the bickering my siblings got into from time to time, but the dogs chasing Carl and Melody were not making things any easier, as they ran back and forth from one wraparound staircase to the other.

"Shut up, you're such a brat, and you still have a night light! Gimme my damn phone- WHOA!" Melody had gotten ahold of Carl, but also lost her footing at the same time, causing them both to fall and tumble down the right staircase, finally landing at the bottom. They were both groaning from the impact of the land, their arms and legs tangled as the dogs circled around them inquisitively.

"Melody, sweetheart, are you ok?"

**_MELODY_ **

I opened my eyes to see Rick and Gareth upside down staring at me and Carl, feeling my face break out into the biggest smile the moment our eyes met.

"Gareth! Hi!" I scrambled to my feet and jumped in his arms, it was probably a bit forward, but seeing him in person after what felt like forever, I was now overjoyed. It was moments like this where I hated myself for being so indecisive in regards to my feelings.

He laughed as his arms wrapped around my waist, the littlest touch from him made sparks fly. "Hi, Melody, have a little tussling fun I see?"

I pulled back and smiled, just looking at him made my heart melt and butterflies flap wildly in my stomach. When I'm with Gareth, nothing else matters and I'm so in the moment, it's when we're apart where my mind starts wandering, and that's the problem. "Something like that. Carl was being a little brat." I glanced over at my nephew, who was currently getting the stink eye from Rick.

"Carl, you know what you have to do…"

He huffed and shook his head, handing me my phone back. "Alright, fine. I'm sorry, Aunt Melody. I shouldn't have been so immature."

"Just don't do it again, kid. You're too cool to be acting like a doofus, k?"

"Ok."

I jumped off of Gareth and grabbed his hand. "I have to finish getting ready, it won't take much longer. That's cool, right, Rick?"

Rick nodded. "Yeah, it's fine. You're over eighteen and I trust you, Mellie."

"Great, thanks." I smiled as I led Gareth up the stairs, relieved that I was going to be alone with him. Thanks to Carl's mishap, we didn't get to have a welcome back kiss…

**_GARETH_ **

I looked around Melody's room as she led me inside. Pepto pink walls that were decorated with posters of musicians, films, and a few decals, a neatly made queen sized bed adorned with stuffed animals and had bunny posts on the top, a white dresser and vanity, two curio cabinets filled with DVDS and books, random knickknacks, and three sliding mirror closet doors. It reminded me a little bit of my sister Sophia's room, but it fit Melody's personality overall.

"Sorry about that, Carl can get kind of annoying at times."

"It's ok, boys always do stupid things. Although, I'm glad he's not around, because I didn't get a chance to do this when I first saw you." With an amorous wink, I wrapped my arm around Melody's waist and pulled her in, pressing my lips against hers, and couldn't contain the smile when I heard the slightest sigh escape from her. My hand travelled to her hip as her hands glided up my face and through my hair. It was moments like this that made it difficult not to take things further. All I wanted to do was make sweet, passionate love to Melody, I had been fantasizing about it for a while. How her naked body would feel underneath mine, the sounds of her moaning my name, leading to ultimate climax, but there was still such a fragility to her and I was hoping to eventually break it sooner rather than later. She wasn't always easy to read. Sometimes when we were necking, she'd turn her head, but I think it was more to see what I would do next, because when I'd start kissing her face or neck she would resume the lip lock once again, but I knew that she had a lot of self-doubt. I don't think Melody realized how truly gorgeous she was, I've seen the way guys look at her when we go out, and then the looks they give me like I'm the luckiest guy in the world, which was honestly how I felt. Melody was everything I wanted in a girl, the fact that she was physically beautiful was an added bonus. Her body drove me absolutely insane, and this was the first time I think I've ever been blue balled. Some days, it was so bad I couldn't even walk.

She took it up a notch and grabbed the lapels of my jacket, turning us around and shoving me back on her bed, never breaking the kiss as she straddled me, sending Mickey Mouse and Hello Kitty to the floor. Her sudden change up now made it impossible not to do anything, I could feel my pants starting to tighten, and out of pure impulse I squeezed her ass. Surprisingly, she didn't even flinch, rather, she pressed into me further. When Melody started sucking on my tongue, my whole body got pins and needles. I felt like freaking Thumper from  _Bambi_ , but my foot wasn't the only thing throbbing. I had to bring this to a halt, because if I didn't, I would end up taking her right then and there. "Honey, aren't you forgetting something?"

"Hmm? What?" Melody asked as she kissed my jawline.

"The party, remember?" We were going to a housewarming/dinner party at her best friend Maggie and Glenn's new home. It was the first time meeting Melody's group of friends, and I was a little nervous. I had already met her mother by accident a couple weeks ago, she was leaving Rick and Lori's when I arrived to pick Melody up, and I insisted she come to dinner with us. Charlotte was a wonderful woman, I really liked her and we got along well, but I knew it was time to introduce Melody to my family as well.

She pulled back and looked down on me. "Oh, yeah. Are you sure you want to go? My Batman movie collection is finally complete, we can have a marathon and pick up where we left off just now." Melody winked and I couldn't help but lean up and kiss her as I pushed her hair back.

"We'll take a rain check on that, I promise. I'm looking forward to meeting your friends. Besides, I have a surprise for you."

Her face lit up as soon as I finished speaking. "A surprise?! Oh, my gosh, what is it?! Tell me, tell me, tell me!" She started shaking my shoulders, which made me laugh.

"Calm down, crazy girl! I'll give it to you as soon as you're done getting ready."

"I am, all I have to do is finish my makeup and put my sandals on. I'll go do that, and you just relax." Melody gave me a quick peck before strolling into her bathroom. "Are you sure you can't give me a little hint? Please, cutie pie?"

"Yes, Melody, I'm sure." I got up and started putting all the stuffed animals back on the bed. "If I told you what it was, it wouldn't be a surprise." As I looked down to pick up the last stuffy, I saw a black leather portfolio folder on the floor under the bed. Curiosity got the best of me as I opened it up and began looking through.

"I suppose you're right. I love surprises, maybe it's why I've never been thrown a surprise party, because I'd want to know every little detail. It's always been one of my dreams, to have a surprise party thrown for me."

As I flipped through the pages of what turned out to be Melody's creative portfolio, I was stunned. There were makeup sheets with elaborate designs ranging from horrifying monsters to regal princesses, which included costumes, along with pictures of the creations she had been able to apply on models as well as what makeup she had done for parties and fashion shows, but that wasn't all that stood out to me. Amongst the drawings and photographs were acceptance letters from different universities. UCLA, Pepperdine, Columbia, Pace, Duke, and LMU, she had gotten into every single one, but why hadn't she gone? I also found a few rough drafts for a romance and a graphic novel, as well as a flyer for RAW Artists, which apparently was an organization that had events showcasing artists, musicians, photographers, fashion designers, etc. Melody was gifted and a brilliant makeup artist and photographer, from what I skimmed through of the rough drafts, she was also a talented writer, why wasn't she doing anything with it?! The world needed to see her exceptional concepts.

"Gareth? Did you hear what I said?"

"Huh? Yeah, I did. I'm sure you'll get a surprise party one day." I scrambled, zipping up the portfolio and shoving it back under her bed before standing up, making a note to myself about how to bring this up with Melody at some point in the future.

"I hope so." She walked out of her bathroom and I knew my mouth was hanging open. Melody had taken off the kimono she was wearing, revealing a white tank top that was straight on one side and was tiered fabric on the other side that went down to her knee, black straight legged pants, and white strappy sandals. Her hair was down and straightened, her makeup was flawless, she looked amazing, bottom line. "Sorry I got a little carried away earlier, shoving you on my bed. I really missed you." She gazed down, smiling. I noticed that from time to time she couldn't give me eye contact, which was one of her little quirks, but it was cute. I walked over, lifting her chin up so her eyes could meet mine, and smiled.

"That's ok, I actually liked it and I can't wait to pick it up with you again. You look incredible, Melody, but I think I know what will really make it perfect." I pulled a box out of the inside pocket of my jacket and handed it to her, watching with trepidation as she opened it. "I saw this when we were leaving Mikimoto and it reminded me of you. It matches your eyes." It had been a while since I bought jewelry for a woman, and this was the first real gift I had gotten for Melody, I wanted it to be perfect.

**_MELODY_ **

Inside the box was a solitaire black Tahitian cultured pearl pendant accentuated with diamonds on the white gold wraparound connecting to the white gold chain. Gareth was right, it definitely matched the green grey color of my eyes, which were wanting to tear up at the moment. This was not only one of the most beautiful gifts a man had ever given me, but the sentiment itself was one of the greatest I had ever received. "Wow, it's so beautiful! Put it on me?" I turned around and stood in front of my closet as I handed him the box and lifted my hair up. "I love it, thank you thank you so much, Gareth. I feel kind of bad, I don't really have anything for you."

He chuckled. "You don't have to get me anything, it was my pleasure, and I get the gift of spending time with you, which is all I could ask for." I watched him smile at me in the mirror, and I couldn't help but think that we actually made a pretty great looking couple. "It really does look spectacular on you. Ready to go?"

"Mmhmm. By the way, I am really loving your jacket." Gareth was wearing this awesome black leather motorcycle jacket that had a white stripe on the shoulders and a green stripe going down either side.

"Thanks, I found it when I took Sophia consignment shopping, it was sort of a needle in a haystack."

"It's sexy, very 80's, but you're rocking it." Just looking at Gareth's jacket made me want to take it off, along with the rest of his clothes. That intimacy on my bed got me hot and bothered, but I felt like we should talk before progressing any further.

**_LORI_ **

"Rick? Carl? I'm ready, let's go! What was all that commotion I was hearing earlier?" I walked out of my room and down the stairs to see Melody and Gareth in the foyer. He had his arms wrapped around her waist from behind as she was texting, and when she was done she turned around and gave him a quick smooch. The sight of the two of them made me smile, and while I know Melody was still on the fence about letting her guard down, I also know that she already had a special place in her heart for Gareth. "Hi, Gareth! Melody, you look beautiful."

"Hi, Lori. Wow, pregnancy really suits you, you're glowing." Rick had recently announced to the company that I was expecting, but even if he hadn't, I'm sure Melody would have filled Gareth in.

"Thanks, I think so too." My pregnancy now was much easier than it had been with Carl, which was odd considering my age. The morning sickness had passed, my blood pressure was fine, everything was smooth sailing, but it did make me a bit apprehensive for my delivery date.

"How's my little niece doing in there?" Melody walked over and bent down, putting her hands on my stomach. "Hi, little one. I'm your Auntie Melody, and I'm so excited to meet you! When you're older, we're gonna go shopping and have spa days and when Mommy and Daddy aren't around I'm going to let you watch  _Breaking Bad_." Gareth and I both laughed over that last bit. Like I predicted, the gender was a girl, and Rick and I couldn't be happier, but Melody was the most excited out of all of us. She was so cute picking out colors and patterns for the nursery, along with planning the baby shower. I was so thrilled with how she had come along in the past month, especially since that first date. It was like meeting Gareth had been the step in the right direction that she needed to get things back on track.

"I don't think she'll be watching  _Breaking Bad_  anytime soon."

"Ready to go?" Rick strolled in with Carl.

"Are you sure you guys can't come to the party with us?" Melody asked.

"I'm sorry, sweetie, but we can't miss Back to School Night." The sight of the necklace she was wearing caught my eye. Smiling widely, I leaned in and whispered to her. "That necklace is gorgeous! I can only imagine what your engagement ring will look like!"

Melody pulled back and rolled her eyes. "Lori! You're such a dreamer." She winked before giving me a hug. "Have fun and behave, Carl!"

"Bye, Melo, give our love to Gleggie and the rest!"

"I will, I promise." Melody grabbed Gareth's hand and strolled out the door.

"Bye!"

It felt like it had been forever since she had smiled the way she did with Gareth, and I hoped that it wouldn't be ending any time soon.

**_MELODY_ **

"Are you ready? I'm warning you now, my friends are a very eclectic bunch." Gareth had just pulled up to Glenn and Maggie's, I had to give one final warning before sending him into battle.

"Yes, I am. Relax, sugar, everything will be fine." He squeezed my hand, and I could feel myself easing up. As usual, I was over analyzing and fretting, I can never let up, and I had to fix that.

"Alright, alright, let's go in then. I know that they'll love you." I took a deep breath as he got out of the car, walking around to open my door.

"Well, if they're anything like you, I'm sure I'll love them as well."

Wait, was he just implying he's in love with me?

"MEL-O-DEEE!" I was barely out of the car for a minute before Stefon sprinted forward and lifted me off the ground, spinning us around.

"Yeee! Stef-on!" I laughed as he kept twirling, thankful that I wasn't holding the chocolate chip cheesecake I made from scratch or the housewarming gift I got for Glenn and Maggie, because they would have gone flying everywhere.

Upon first meeting Stefon at Cinema Makeup School in our Fashion Makeup class, I was immediately drawn to his flamboyance and larger than life personality, he was also a total sweetheart. Stefon's real name was actually Donald Jones, but he changed it to Stefon not only to sound more refined, but because of his love for Bill Hader's character of the same name on  _Saturday Night Live_. The two had a lot of similarities, from their demeanors and wardrobe consisting of Ed Hardy shirts and multiple rings down to the asymmetrical frost tipped haircut, but my Stefon dressed like a crossover between Mork and Lady Gaga. Tonight, for example, he was wearing elevator shoes with straight leg jeans, rainbow suspenders, a green and white blazer, oversized sunglasses, and a top hat. To most people, Stefon was nothing but a joke, but to those that truly cared, he was a shining star.

"Stefon, calm yourself." Aaron said. Stefon was in a polyamourous relationship with a gay couple in their 30's, Aaron was a college sports recruiter for CSUN and Eric was an exotic animal trainer for the L.A. Zoo. The concept of the relationship was both strange and fascinating, but it seemed to work.

"Hi, guys! Babe, what are you wearing?!" I asked as I walked over to greet Aaron and Eric.

"A Stefonic creation, cupcake." Stefon glanced over my shoulder and his face lit up the second he saw Gareth. "Is that him?" He whispered, but before I could answer, he threw his shoulders back, stuck his chest out, and strutted over with his hand on his hip in full Stefon mode. "Gareth, darling! It's such a delight to finally meet the hottie patottie that's slapped a smile on my best friend's face from here to New York City!" Aaron, Eric and I couldn't help but snicker as Stefon laid two huge lipstick kisses on Gareth's cheeks. Surprisingly, Gareth took it well.

"Well, she's put the same smile on my face, also. It's nice to finally meet you, Stefon, I've heard a lot of wonderful things."

"Looks, bod, great car,  _and_ manners. I can tell I'm going to like you." Stefon nodded as he linked his arm through mine, leaving the guys alone to introduce themselves. "Boo boo, he is so yummy! Oh, my gosh, how have you not jumped his bones already or kissed every square inch of that sexy jaw?! One look at him and I went into early menopause, because he just gave me a hot flash!." He fanned himself as I laughed and playfully smacked his arm before grabbing my stuff out of the car.

"You're such a scoundrel, Stef! It'll happen when it happens, but it may be sooner rather than later. Things have been going really well, and I don't want to jinx it by jumping into bed with him, except at the same time my attraction for him keeps getting higher and higher." This was becoming an "issue" for me or less, even more so because I had no idea what Gareth thought, the topic of sleeping together hadn't really come up. My desires were only going to grow, so I had to make it a point to bring up the topic with him somehow, I just hope he wouldn't think I was too ridiculous. Gareth would be my first sexual encounter since the nightmare known as Shane, so I was naturally apprehensive.

"If you don't, I will! Hop to it, bun buns!" Stefon lightly smacked me on the butt before turning around to grab Aaron and Eric as I walked up to Gareth, licking my thumb and wiping off the magenta lipstick stains.

"So, what do you think so far? Are you ready to run for the hills?"

"Ha, not even close. Stefon's hilarious and his boyfriends are friendly. I don't know how he does it, a polyamorous relationship, I'm a one woman kind of man."

"That's great to know, especially since he wants to make you his third boyfriend."

He rolled his eyes and smirked. "He wouldn't be the first, babe. You should have seen all the guys that would hit on me back in San Francisco, but I'm used to it. I have two moms remember? Nothing shocks me." I loved how open minded he was, it was refreshing and I hoped it would rub off on me. Smiling up at him, I grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze before leading the way up the steps. My friends hadn't really approved of Randall, looking back now I don't blame them. With that being said, it didn't make me any less anxious, but I also had a feeling that there was nothing to worry about, because I knew they'd love Gareth, just as I may have...

"Come on, let's see how you do with the rest of the troops."

**_Reviews are encouraged! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW AND SPREAD THE WORD, NO FLAMES!_ **


	8. Meet The Jury

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Melody introduces Gareth to her friends, which proves to be a smashing success. Melody confides in Maggie, Beth, and Tara about her fear of opening up as well as the increased sexual tension, in which she finally decides to talk to Gareth. Following a surprise proposal and an impromptu performance, Gareth and Melody finally get alone time to talk. Sorry for the sucky summary!

**Hi everybody! Loving the feedback once again, keep it coming! Brace yourselves, because it won't be smooth sailing all the way! I'm excited to see what you all think! :) I was able to incorporate more characters into this chapter, including Noah and our favorite, Hershel! Also, I forgot to give my thoughts on the midseason finale last chapter. I wasn't happy with Beth's death (Maggie's reaction KILLED me though!), it was a moment of overzealousness on her part and it could have been better done. They spent all this time building up her character only to kill her off :/. I forgot to mention in the last chapter that the gay couple Aaron and Eric are both from the comics.**

**Today is Melody’s birthday in the story, so I thought it would be fun to post! :)**

**_DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NOR HAVE ANY AFFILIATIONS WITH THE WALKING DEAD OR IMAGINE. ALL PROPERTIES OWNED BY FRANK DARABONT AND AMC (TELEVISION SERIES), ROBERT KIRKMAN AND TONY MOORE (COMIC BOOK SERIES), AND JOHN LENNON, RESPECTIVELY. I ONLY OWN MY OWN ORIGINAL IDEAS AND CHARACTERS._ **

**_Chapter Eight: Meet The Jury_ **

**_GARETH_ **

Before we could even ring the bell, the door swung open. "Melody and new guy have arrived!" We walked in to see a Korean guy with a video camera filming us, who I assumed was Glenn. Melody had told me that in addition to Comic Dojo, he was also an aspiring documentary filmmaker. Glenn currently went to film school at USC while his and Melody's friend Tara helped with running the comic book shop. Stefon really was quite a character. Like I told Melody, his flamboyance didn't faze me, I had seen way more extreme, but I liked him and I couldn't wait to see what the rest of her friends were like.

"Hiii!" Melody smiled and waved at the camera. "What's the occasion?"

"Just wanting to get everybody, tonight is a big night. I have a couple surprises in store."

Melody glanced over at me and smirked. "Looks like you started a snowball effect or something."

"I guess so." I turned to Glenn as he set his camera down. "Hi, I'm Gareth, you must be Glenn, I could tell by the camera and the Capitan America belt decal."

"Yes, I am. Great to finally put a face to the name." Glenn shook my hand. He seemed like a pretty cool, laid back guy.

"Nice meeting you, too. Congratulations on the new house." I handed him the gold box I had been holding. "I hope you enjoy it."

Glenn opened the box and smiled. "Wow, this is really thoughtful of you, thanks so much."

"You're welcome. It was either that or a massage chair."

Stefon looked at the bottle and his mouth went agape. "Oh, my goddess! Dom Perignon! That's one of the most expensive champagnes in the world!"

"Actually, it's Moet and Chandon Dom Perignon Charles and Diana 1961. Fun fact: It was the champagne for the Royal Wedding back in 1981, so you're drinking royalty, Glenn!" Melody laughed. "Gareth is a collector."

I had just started my collection after being told that wines and champagnes were a good investment, even though I'm not a huge drinker. Either way, if the economy ever went bust again, I was sitting on lots of collateral.

"Come on, let's go see everybody else." The five of us followed Glenn into the family room. It was a cozy two story house with modestly sized rooms painted in soft colors, but it had such an inviting vibe that I felt at home right away. The family room had two oak wood book shelves, a black pleather couch, a few red Charleston chairs, a long double shelved glass coffee table that was adorned with books, and a 42" flat screen TV tuned on to an episode of _Parks and Recreation_.

"Melo!" A pretty brunette with shoulder length hair ran up from the kitchen and embraced Melody, who squealed and returned the hug. "I'm so glad you're finally here!"

"Me, too! I love what you've done with the place!"

The brunette, who I assumed was Maggie, turned around to the family room. "You guys, Melody is here!"

Everybody looked over and started cheering for her, causing Melody to laugh and her cheeks became a bit pinker. "Hey, hey, hey!"

"Morello!" A tall, striking looking African American girl with curly black hair past her shoulders stood up.

"Crazy Eyes!" Melody walked over and grabbed her hand as they started making a wave with their arms and saying "Chocolate and Vanilla, Swiii-iirrrlll! Swii-iirrrlll!", before laughing and hugging each other as Melody then hugged the rest of the people on the couch, a blonde, another brunette, a Hispanic girl, and then an African American boy sorting CDs. I couldn't help but laugh to myself. Melody had told me she didn't have very many friends, except everybody here was overjoyed to see her. Melody walked back over and grabbed my hand, pulling me forward. "Sorry about that. Gareth, this is-"

"Let me guess" I first pointed at the brunette. "You must be Maggie."

She smiled and nodded. "Sure am."

"Glad I got that one right." I turned and started pointing to everybody else. "Sasha, Beth a.k.a. The Next Taylor Swift, Tara, Alisha, and the one rocking the Beats by Dre headphones must be Noah."

"Ding, ding, ding! Jackpot!" Noah laughed before walking up and giving me a pound hug. "Nice to meet you, man."

"You, too." As I walked around meeting everybody, Glenn walked in with the bottle.

"Maggs, look what Gareth brought us. Dom Perignon."

"Not just that! It's Princess Diana Dom Perignon!" Stefon chirped, making dramatic gestures with his hands, which resulted in a bunch of "Ooos!" from everybody around us. I knew that it was a nice bottle, but I was a little uncomfortable with how big of a fuss was being made. It made me wonder what would have happened if I brought the 2009 Chateau Margaux Balthazar that last year was pronounced the most expensive bottle of wine in the world at $195K, they probably would have thrown a parade.

"Hey, don't forget my gift, you guys." Melody walked over, grabbing the bag she brought in, giving it to Glenn before sitting on my lap. It caught me a little by surprise, she had never done that before, but I didn't mind. In fact, I kind of liked it. "Open it, open it! The cheesecake is at the top, it has to go in the refrigerator."

"Alright, fine." Glenn opened the bag and pulled out two books after giving Maggie the cheesecake. Melody looked at me, speaking in a low voice.

"I wanted to deflect the focus, I could tell you were getting a little embarrassed. You don't mind if I sit here, do you? I'm not too heavy?"

Did I mind? Did I mind? Of course I didn't, words could not express how fine I was with this. "Thanks for that, and no, not at all." I wrapped my arms around her waist as she wrapped her arms around my neck, redirecting the conversation back to Maggie and Glenn opening the books.

" _Marvel Comics: 75 Years of Cover Art_? This is freaking awesome!" Glenn exclaimed as he began to flip through the pages excitedly.

" _Vogue and the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute: Parties, Exhibitions, People._ Melody, how did you know?!" Maggie asked, a wide smile on her face, to which Melody shrugged.

Melody laughed. "They popped up on my Amazon suggestions and they just screamed "Gleggie"! I hope you enjoy them."

"Absolutely! Thanks so much."

The doorbell rang before anybody could say anything else. "Babe, can you get the door? I'm sure it's probably your dad and Annette."

"Sure, no problem." Maggie walked out of the room as Glenn picked up his camera again.

"Melody always has the best taste in gifts." Beth smiled, elbowing her.

"Yeah, I still have the Stewie Griffin keychain that she bought me on my car keys." Tara joined in.

"Hey, Melody, Sasha. I missed you guys doing "Chocolate and Vanilla Swirl", and this has to be in the video. You wouldn't mind doing it again, would you?"

Sasha raised her eyebrow at him. "What? Are you serious?"

He nodded. "Hell yes. Please? It's freaking hilarious!"

"Alright, fine." Melody turned to me. "Excuse me while I go make an ass out of myself." She kissed me on the cheek and walked over to Sasha as Glenn stood next to my spot on the couch filming them.

"Ok, action!"

Melody and Sasha once again clasped their hands and started doing a wave like motion as they sang "Chocolate and Vanilla, Swiii-iirrrlll! Swii-iirrrlll!". It was a bit from _Orange is the New Black_ , as were the names Morello and Crazy Eyes, it actually was pretty funny, and of course Melody looked adorable doing it. As we watched, I saw an African American man dressed in a blue Class A Army Service Uniform walk in, carrying a bouquet of red roses. Everybody got really quiet, which caused Sasha to stop with the swirling and look over her shoulder.

"Ahhh! Oh, my gosh! Bob!" She shrieked and jumped in Bob's arms, giving him a huge kiss as everybody started clapping and cheering.

"Surprise!" Glenn yelled.

"When? How? I thought-"

"We stationed in Camarillo for the weekend to fill up on fuel and supplies. Glenn knew and had Hershel and Annette pick me up from the airport so I can surprise you. So, surprise!"

Sasha laughingly smiled. "Aww, baby, you're so sweet." She leaned in and kissed him again as an older white haired gentleman that looked exactly like Santa Claus walked in, along with a middle age blonde, I'm guessing these were Maggie and Beth's parents Hershel and Annette.

"Did I hear someone say my name? "

"EEEE! Hershey Hugs and Kisses!" Melody squealed and gave him a big hug, which he returned before she hugged Annette.

"Oh, honey! It's so good to see you, you look gorgeous!"

"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes, Melody."

"I've missed you both so much! Here, come with me, there's somebody really special I want you to meet." She grabbed Hershel's hand and walked him over to the couch as Annette followed. "Hershel, Annette, this is Gareth. Gareth, this is Hershel and Annette Greene, Maggie and Beth's dad and Beth's mom."

I stood up and shook their hands. "Hi, it's really nice to meet you both."

"Same for you, Gareth. Melody's like my third daughter, so don't try any fast ones." Hershel said with a slight smirk as he patted me on the shoulder.

"Oh, Hershel, come off it." Annette looked over with a laugh. "Sorry, my husband thinks that he's a universal father."

"That's fine, I admire the protectiveness, actually. I won't let you down, sir." I saluted him in confirmation, which brought out a smile. I knew he'd get a kick out of it since Melody mentioned that he was a Vietnam war veteran.

"Good to know." Hershel turned to Annette before they walked over to Maggie. "He's better than that Randall fellow she brought along last time."

Melody looked down on me. "He means well, Hershel is just like that since he's known me pretty much my whole life, ya know?"

I nodded. "No apologies necessary, I understand. It's sweet."

We were interrupted when Noah pointed at the TV. "Hey, Melody, isn't that your-" Before he could finish his sentence, Beth clamped her hand over his mouth. Confused, Noah kept trying to speak, but was muffled because of Beth. I glanced at the TV to see one of those commercials promoting the upcoming election.

"I'm California Governor Phillip Blake and I approve of this message."

I had actually voted for Phillip Blake in the last election, particularly because he wanted to keep transferring power to local authorities of the educational and criminal justice systems, as well as being firmly against Prop 8, and I'd probably vote for him again next month, I just had no idea what Noah was saying.

"Noah, sweetie, I don't get why you keep thinking that Melody's dad looks like The Governor of California, because he doesn't! Silly goose." Beth gave him a kiss on the cheek and got up. I didn't really think much of it.

**_TWENTY FIVE MINUTES LATER_ **

**_MELODY_ **

"That was a close call. Thanks, Beth." I said as we walked into the kitchen to help Maggie.

She smiled over at me. "Of course. What are best friends for?"

"Exactly."

Maggie and Sasha came strolling back into the kitchen. "Melody, the two of you together are freaking cute!"

"Yeah, your sister really picked you a winner. If I didn't have a boyfriend, I wouldn't mind taking a swing at him." Sasha elbowed me as she winked. Sasha and Maggie knew each other from being song girls at USC, and she was the one who got Maggie the job at Youngbloodz. We are mostly text buddies, always saying how we'll hang out but it falls through more times than not, but she's a chill girl and has been a good listener the past few months since all of my troubles increased. Sasha's boyfriend of three years, Bob, is currently in the army and they planned to get married once his next tour of duty ended.

Beth interjected. "You guys, looks aren't everything. Yes, Gareth is a handsome guy, but that's besides the point."

"I agree with Beth." Tara said as she and Alisha walked in from outside. "The wine is chilled, Maggie." Tara was pretty much the only friend I had in high school, other than Aiden. He was friends with her from lacrosse, which Tara was so good she was on the boy's team, but due to the demand of the popular clique, the three of us didn't hang out too often. The people that didn't think I was in love with Aiden thought that Tara and I were girlfriends. A lot of our classmates advised me against hanging out with her, saying it would be bad for my reputation, but I thought that was ridiculously cruel and didn't let it sway me. No matter what kind of outburst I threw, Tara always stood by my side and was very loyal. Around the same time I was with Randall, Tara was having a crazy love affair with this chick Alanna who turned out to be a lying manipulative bitch, thank God we both came to our senses and dumped those monsters for good. Then she met Alisha from being on the L.A. Derby Dolls roller derby team, and now they were together. I had a feeling they would get married at some point. A few years ago, Tara hung out with Beth and Maggie more than I did, which left me a little frustrated since I introduced them, but now the four of us were very tight knit.

"Thanks."

"Yeah, he's a hottie, girlfriend." Alisha said as she tossed the salad.

Tara scoffed "Leishee!" She lightly back handed Alisha on the arm, who shrugged.

"What? Just because I don't subscribe to the magazine doesn't mean I can't read the articles."

"Fine, whatever." Tara rolled her eyes.

"Sasha, Leishe, can you guys bring out the salad and jerk chicken for me, please?"

"Sure." Sasha nodded, talking to Alisha as they grabbed the food. Maggie waited until they were out of the room before speaking again, this time in a lower voice.

"I'm guessing by your silence over Noah's little moment that you haven't told Gareth about your dad?"

I hung my head down low and shook it. "No. I told him about what happened with me and my mom, and I've mentioned Randall briefly, but that's about it. I also haven't told him about Shane and Rick." Only the three girls in the room with me knew about the aforementioned. I knew I could trust them with my life if I had to, I also knew they wouldn't hold it against me.

"Why? Hasn't he caught on with "The Goonies"?" "The Goonies", as I dubbed them in my teen years, are my bodyguards. After winning the election, my dad hired them to watch my every move to make it out to be like he actually cared, as if he'd win Father of the Year by doing just that. Abraham Ford was a 6"4 burly redhead ex Army Sergeant and Eugene Porter was a shorter and portly mullet head that was recruited from Cal Tech Pasadena. While Eugene was more reserved, I've gotten into a few shouting matches with Abraham, but for the most part, I get along with them.

"No, thank goodness. Those two are incredibly stealthy. I'm still getting to know Gareth, I really like him a lot and it scares me that if I unveil myself that it will scare him away for good." I hopped up on the kitchen counter and watched the boys from the breakfast window, they were all swigging back beers, engrossed in some heavy discussion. "It also scares me how wonderful he is, and I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop."

"Melody, you're going to drive yourself insane if you keep expecting the silver lining to unravel. Ever since you started going out with Gareth, I haven't seen you this happy in I can't even remember when. Honestly, I think it was the last time you talked to Aiden that you were this happy and hopeful." Tara rubbed my arm, a somewhat gloomy smile on her face. I knew she was spot on with everything she was saying, but why couldn't I fully embrace it? Being amongst friends, I knew I could confide in them, it was better than Dr. Mamet, who would most likely stare a hole through me.

"I've fallen for him, girls. When we're together, it's like whatever is bothering me falls by the wayside and the only focus is the two of us. It feels exactly like the movies. We're always on the same level and see eye to eye, there's no mayhem or confusion."

"If Gareth really cares about you, knowing your secrets won't phase his feelings. You have to say something, I can tell it's eating you up. Besides, he's going to have to accept you if he wants to be your boyfriend. Is that what you want?" Beth asked.

"I will, eventually, and yes, I could see him as my boyfriend in the future. That's not the only thing. Gareth and I have a seriously unbelievable physical chemistry with white hot sexual tension. We were getting hot and heavy on my bed before we left the house. He's soooo sexy! Gareth is a great kisser, he's got the best lips, and perfect facial bone structure, but what really gets me going is his hands. They're so big and it's like every time we touch, sparks fly. I really, really want to take that next step, but I don't know if it's been long enough."

"Talk to him about that, too. You should always implement the three month rule, but considering how much time you've already spent together, I wouldn't worry about it." Maggie said.

"I suppose you're right." I glanced over the counter at the guys once again.

"Ben Affleck is going to be the worst Batman! Homeboy may be a bomb director, but he can't act for shit. Seriously, Christian Bale never should have turned down _Batman vs. Superman_." Noah proclaimed.

"No, man. Bale is the darkest Batman, but we all know Keaton brings it home." Glenn said.

"Kilmer and Clooney both take the cake for Worst Batman Ever. Clooney may have won Sexiest Man Alive multiple times, but he could not pull off being The Caped Crusader. I'm just glad they're not throwing Robin into the mix." Bob added, taking a swig of his Coors.

"I'm with Bob on this one, you guys. Yeah, Batman has to be bad ass, but can Jesse Eisenberg _really_ pull of Lex Luthor? It totally should have been Bryan Cranston. Heisenberg much?" Gareth set his beer down as they all started laughing. He happened to look over at me with one of those heart melting smiles, this guy was too much to resist. I blew him a kiss before turning back to the girls, deciding that I was definitely going to open up more to Gareth.

**_FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER_ **

"Beth, I did not spook your horse! For some reason that I'll never know, your dad thought it would be a good idea to put you on a horse and me on a pony. The damn thing kicked back and sent me flying in the air! I went splat in the mud!" Everybody burst into laughter over one of the stories from when Beth and I were children.

"You and Nelly were a lot alike, you should have gotten along perfectly." Hershel said.

"Yeah, but we ended up butting heads instead!"

"I bet you were a wild one back in the day, Melo." Gareth elbowed me with a smirk.

The dinner party was proving to be a smashing success. Gareth had charmed all my friends, and I was thrilled. Everybody getting along and eating on the patio, the sky was a clear midnight blue and decorated with endless stars, it was wonderful. The ambiance was superb, I haven't felt this relaxed in such a long time, I need to continue cleansing my soul and embrace the surrounding warmth. With a silent breath, I turned to Gareth. "Are you doing anything tomorrow? Like do you have to wake up early?"

He shook his head. "Nope, it's Saturday. I was just going to go over some notes and work out, but that's about it. Why, did you want to do something?"

"Yes, maybe, but that's not why I asked. When you drop me off, there's some things I want to discuss with you that have been on my mind." He was about to speak but I cut him off. "Not anything bad, don't worry. It's just some things that I think are important, and who knows? We might even get a good laugh out of it." I chuckled, to which Gareth smiled.

"Alright, I'm game. Whatever you want to do, pretty girl." He leaned in and gave me a sweet kiss, which I returned, feeling relieved that he was so open for discussion.

"Save some for me, MarshMello!" Stefon said from across the table.

We separated as I looked over at him. "Hey, you have double loving, there's no need for extra, and what have I told you about calling me MarshMello?"

He pouted and turned it into an air kiss. "MWAH! LOVE YOU!"

I couldn't help but laugh, Stefon never failed to crack me up. "Love you, too."

"May I have everybody's attention, please?" Glenn and Maggie stood up as he started tapping the side of his glass, causing us to look over at them while Maggie spoke up next.

"Thank you all so much for coming tonight, we couldn't have thought of a better way to ring in our new home by celebrating with the ones we love." She held up her glass, with all of us following suit.

"Cheers!" After all the glasses had been clinked, Glenn resumed talking.

"As most of you know, my mom and sisters are all back in Korea. Hershel, Annette and Beth have been nothing but welcoming and warm to me throughout the years, and I think of you as my family." Hershel nodded with a smile before Glenn continued. "Nobody really knew who I was before Maggie and I dated, but I'm about to tell you. I was a Fanfiction loving Domino's Pizza delivery boy from Korea that spent his free time watching black and white movies and playing Portal. It wasn't until Maggie crashed into me in the USC dormatory and my supreme pizza I was delivering went flying all over her that my life changed." We all laughed at him poking fun, all in good spirit. Glenn turned to Maggie next, who had a loving smile on her face.

"Maggie, you are one of the most beautiful and kind hearted I have ever met. There has not been a day that has gone by these past four years where I didn't wake up and go to sleep being thankful that somebody as wonderful as you was mine. I grew up and became more serious about life, my goals, and pursuing my dreams. I care about you more than I care about myself."

The next thing that happened was Glenn got down on one knee in front of Maggie. Beth and I gasped before looking at each other with a smile, both of our eyes tearing up. It wasn't only Glenn's proposal that was making me cry, it was also the fact that it made me think of Aiden, what would have happened if we ended up together. How he would have proposed to me, what our wedding and our life together would have been like. I know that it was pretty far fetched, but it had been a big dream of mine, a dream that was forever buried and gone.

Glenn pulled out a little black velvet box and opened it, revealing a stunning Leo diamond ring. "Maggie Lauren Greene, will you do me the honor of becoming Mrs. Glenn Steven Rhee?"

She nodded, holding her hands to her face as happy tears streamed down. "Yes."

Glenn smiled, putting the ring on Maggie's finger and gave her a kiss as we all started clapping and cheering. Beth and I grabbed each other's hands and squealed. "YAY! WE'RE GOING TO BE BRIDESMAIDS!" We started laughing at each other as I turned back to Gareth.

"Did you know this was going to happen?"

I shook my head, laughing as I wiped my tears. "Nope, not at all."

"See? I told you it's better to be surprised."

**_AN HOUR AND A HALF LATER_ **

**_GARETH_ **

"It's called "cock fighting", it's when two guys wrestle each other, and the loser has to do whatever sexual thing the winner wants, like going down, down, down below!" Melody started cracking up as we all joined her in the laughter.

"That is the most disgusting thing I've ever heard! No wonder I became a lesbian!" Tara said, sipping some jack and coke.

"Tara, gay or straight, it is absolutely hilarious! I've seen it online and I could not stop laughing! Thank God Merle is never doing those, because I would totally toss my cookies."

I laughed, squeezing her leg. "Never a dull day at the office, right, babydoll?"

"You've got that one right, hot lips." Melody leaned in and kissed me with a brief slip of her tongue. While my buzz had died down earlier, I could tell she was still a little bit tipsy. Glenn already had champagne on ice set for the occasion, and Melody had had a few mimosas. It was a little past midnight, and the party had died down with the exception of the two of us, Maggie, Glenn, Beth, Noah, Tara, and Alisha. We were all sitting around the family room, Melody on my lap again, it was definitely a good night. I had hit it off really well with her friends, they were all great people and I enjoyed their company, Glenn and I had already made plans to hit the batting cages next weekend. Melody would never admit it to me, but when her eyes watered during Glenn's proposal, I knew that Aiden was on her mind. Tara and Beth had told me earlier about how close they were and how she always loved him. Even though it was still early, I kind of had hope that maybe one day our relationship could evolve into something that serious.

"Melody, we have got to get you into the studio already." Noah said as he messed around with his headphones.

"What?" I looked up at Melody. "You didn't tell me you sing."

She looked down and then all around, I could tell she was embarrassed. "I do, but it's just for fun."

"Pfft, she's lying. This girl has got a serious set of pipes on her, and I'll prove it to you right now. Glenn, grab your acoustic."

"Sure thing."

"Oh, Noah, it's fine, really." Melody shook her head, trying to avoid it."I'm not that good, trust me. Beth has only been teaching me for two years, I'm nowhere near as trained as she is."

"Melody, you have a beautiful voice. It's been so long since I've heard you sing. Please? You don't want to turn me down on the night I get engaged, do you?" Maggie playfully winked.

"If it makes any bit of difference, I'd really like to hear you sing." Melody looked down to see me smiling, knowing I meant every word I said. She heavily sighed.

"Alright, fine. I'll do it."

"You're one of my best students, make me proud!" Beth squeezed her shoulder as Melody got up and sat down by Glenn while he situated his dark blue Ibanez acoustic guitar.

"What song are we doing?"

Melody leaned in and whispered in his ear, both of them nodding. Glenn started strumming what I made out to be John Lennon's "Imagine", which happened to be one of my favorite songs.

" ** _Imagine there's no heaven_**

**_It's easy if you try_ **

**_No hell below us_ **

**_Above us only sky_ **

**_Imagine all the people_ **

**_Living for today..._ **

**_Imagine there's no countries_ **

**_It isn't hard to do_ **

**_Nothing to kill or die for_ **

**_And no religion too_ **

**_Imagine all the people_ **

**_Living life in peace..._ **

**_You may say I'm a dreamer_ **

**_But I'm not the only one_ **

**_I hope someday you'll join us_ **

**_And the world will be as one_ **

Melody had started singing in a low tone, but quickly raised her voice, looking out at all of us, sometimes breaking a smile. All I could do was watch in amazement, she had a truly beautiful voice. Hearing her sing just made me want to dig deeper and find out as much as I could, I hoped that she would let me in that much, as much as I had let her in.

**_Imagine no possessions_ **

**_I wonder if you can_ **

**_No need for greed or hunger_ **

**_A brotherhood of man_ **

**_Imagine all the people_ **

**_Sharing all the world..._ **

**_You may say I'm a dreamer_ **

**_But I'm not the only one_ **

**_I hope someday you'll join us_ **

**_And the world will live as one_ **

She finished the song with a smile and gave Glenn a hug as we all clapped for her.

"Wow, that was awesome! You rocked that, girl!" Alisha said.

"Thanks." Melody sat back on my lap again, looking at me.

"She's right, it was beautiful. You certainly live up to your name."

**_1:30 AM, THE GRIMES RESIDENCE_ **

"I'm so glad you came with me tonight, Gareth. My friends really loved you." Melody smiled over at me.

"So am I, they are all fantastic people. Are you sure you want to have that talk, sweetie? You seem pretty tired." She had fallen asleep in the car a couple times, it might have been from the mimosas, but she shook her head.

"Nope, I'm wide awake. Can you wait for me though? I want to slip into something more comfortable."

"Alright, sure."

"Don't be expecting lingerie now." She said with a wink.

"Ha, ok, I won't. I'll be here waiting."

As I watched her get out of the car, my mind began to wander on what she could possibly want to talk about. At the same time, there were things I wanted to discuss with her as well. Like where she thought our relationship was going, if she was ready to take things further or if she wanted to slow them down.

"Thanks for waiting." Melody got back in the car, wearing a blue, white, and black checked flannel over a black tank top, blue pajama bottoms with Minnie Mouse heads all over them, and baby blue UGG slippers.

"No problem, you look pretty cute."

"Thanks."

"So, what do you want to talk about?"

"Actually, I don't want to do it here, but I know the perfect spot. Are you cool with that?"

"Whatever you want to do." I smiled as I started my car and drove off. All I knew is that there had to be a way I could get her to open up without pressuring her. Maybe she was ready to do exactly that and it was the reason why she wanted to talk? I could only hope.

**_Reviews are encouraged! Please read and follow and spread the word! NO FLAMES!_ **


	9. Unchained

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Melody and Gareth open up to each other, both emotionally and physically. Following a sexy moment, they both realize they've fallen for the other.

**Hi everybody! Like I said, it won't be smooth sailing all the way, you'll find that out by the end of this chapter! I'm excited to see what you all think! :)**

**I wanna give a special shout out to my beta reader texasbelle91, as well as DarylDixon'sgirl1985, He-Who-Shall-Live, Lego Kid At Heart, and SilverSun09. Please check out their stories, because they are freaking awesome!**

**_DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NOR HAVE ANY AFFILIATIONS WITH THE WALKING DEAD OR UNCHAINED MELODY. ALL PROPERTIES OWNED BY FRANK DARABONT AND AMC (TELEVISION SERIES), ROBERT KIRKMAN AND TONY MOORE (COMIC BOOK SERIES), AND THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS, RESPECTIVELY. I ONLY OWN MY OWN ORIGINAL IDEAS AND CHARACTERS._ **

**_Chapter Nine: Unchained_ **

**_FIVE MINUTES LATER_ **

**_MELODY_ **

"This is where you want to go? Won't we get caught? It's after one in the morning."

I nodded. "Yep. Trust me, we won't get caught. It just seemed to be the most secluded place I could think of."

"Alright, if you say so." Gareth sighed as he turned his car off. "I'll take your word for it, Melody."

We were at the park playground a couple minutes away from Rick and Lori's. I didn't want to have this conversation in the house in case somebody overheard us, and Gareth's car was too impersonal to have such a discussion, so I decided on the park. It was a place I'd come to whenever I was stressed, even though I'm reminded of the last time I saw Aiden, but I couldn't let that cloud my mind, there were things that had to be said.

The night was silent still, somehow darker than before and the moon being the only light from the sky. Getting out of the car, I started going over everything in my head that I wanted to say. Usually, I didn't really have a problem being straightforward, so why should now be any different? Gareth reached over and grabbed my hand, breaking me from my thoughts as I looked over at him.

"You alright?"

"Huh? Yes, I'm fine. Let's go to the playground." The park wasn't anything out of the norm. It has a basketball court, a baseball diamond, lots of ramps to skate on, a tether ball pole, and lead offs to a couple hiking trails, but the playground was probably my favorite part. There was a seesaw, merry-go-round, swingset, a few slides, a sand box, spring riders, trapeze rings, a maze, and a jungle gym with monkey bars, everything was painted in bold, vibrant colors. Even with as dark as it was outside, the colors shone in the moonlight. "I usually come here when I need some clarity, or the beach, and it's usually this time of night."

"Really? By yourself?"

I nodded. "Yep. I've taken quite a few self-defense and boxing classes with Lori. I may be short, but I can hold my own in a fight and send them running." I failed to mention about the two fights I had gotten into with Lori when I was seventeen. She's too ashamed to admit it, but I kicked her ass. They were the only physical fights we had ever had, and it didn't look like we'll be having one again. That is, if she doesn't kick my own ass for finding out I kissed her husband.

Gareth chuckled. "Is that so now?"

"Mmhmm." I turned around as we walked onto the rubber blacktop and leaned up, wrapping my arms around his neck as I stood on my tip toes.

"I can tell you're a spitfire." He wrapped his arms around my waist. Even though he's a phenomenal kisser, Gareth also gave the best hugs, which in my opinion are just as important. Both of the tops I was wearing had rode up, exposing the small of my back to the night air, and I could feel Gareth's hands lingering in that area.

"Thanks. I know where you're dying to put your hands, dream boat." With a giggle, I boldly moved his hands down lower and pulled him in for a deep kiss as he grabbed my butt and then laughed when I jumped up and wrapped my legs around his waist. To whomever drove by, it was an interesting sight, the two of us making out with him holding me in the middle of the park. I hadn't really done much P.D.A. before, Randall wouldn't even hold my hand in public, but it was refreshing with Gareth, and it felt right. Except I was getting way too swept up in the intimacy, if I wanted to take things further, we had to get down to business. I pulled back to see Gareth with an amusing smile on his face.

"Whoa, where did that come from?"

"I think I'm still a little tipsy, but I just felt like it."

"Well, I'm glad you did. You're also a feisty one."

"Sometimes." I turned around, seeing that the jungle gym was nearby. "How about the jungle gym?"

"Sure." Gareth carried me the rest of the way there and hoisted me up in the tower. The jungle gym/play set was short enough that we could just climb up in a second, but wide enough to fit us both inside. "So, what did you want to talk about, Melody?"

I looked over at him, and staring into those eyes made me a little nervous, I started to feel like a dumb ass.

**_Why am I doing this?_ **

**_Because you really like him and you haven't had sex since that idiot Shane._ **

**_It's not all about sex! It's so much more than that with Gareth._ **

**_Then speak your mind. Breathe!_ **

Taking a deep breath, I grabbed his hand and gave him a shy smile. "Alright. I'm still a bit tipsy, so I apologize in advance if I say anything stupid, ok?"

"Ha, ok. What's on your mind, beautiful?"

Where do I start? "Well, first off, what's up with you?"

"What do you mean?" He shot me a confused look, meaning that I had come off a little too abrasive.

"Sorry, that came off kind of harsh. I mean, you're pretty damn great. Fantastic, really. I know that, I'm pretty sure you do as well, Lori and Rick obviously know it because they wouldn't have set you up with me if you weren't, my mom knows it and now my friends know it. There's gotta be something that makes you out of the norm. Do you collect ketchup packets? Do you secretly eat people? Are you a compulsive cleaner? Are you circumcised? Would you ever walk barefoot across burning hot coals?"

Gareth scoffed in shock, which is when I realized I just overloaded him, except I didn't feel as tense when he smiled.

"No, I don't collect ketchup packets, but I do collect shot glasses. I'm a carnivore, _not_ a cannibal. I'm not a compulsive cleaner, but I like things neat, and yes, Melody, I'm circumcised, but I wouldn't walk across burning hot coals barefoot. Who would?"

"Alright! High five! Especially for those last two." I could tell he was trying not to laugh as we slapped palms. "My dad was pissed off that I wouldn't do the fire walk at Tony Robbins. I kept meaning to ask if you'd do it but I forgot."

"That's not a good reason to get mad at somebody. Also, my mom had me and my brother circumcised when we were born."

My smile disappeared. "Oh, Jesus."

"What?"

"Now, if I ever meet your brother or whenever you mention him, that's all I'll be thinking about."

Gareth could no longer hold back and burst into laughter. I could feel my face heat up, but it was pretty funny, so I allowed myself to laugh, too.

"You're too funny. To be honest, I'm kind of a boring guy with a few odd habits. I smoke pot from time to time, have a guilty pleasure for action movies, I take the cream out of the Oreos and stack it up, and as you already know, I'm a former ventriloquist." Gareth told me about how when he was younger he had a side business performing at children's birthday parties with Goober, a dummy his mom surprised him with at a garage sale and that he fixed up.

"See, but those are all things that make you even cuter."

"And that's a bad thing how?"

I sighed and looked down, turning his hand over in mine as my finger started swirling invisible patterns into his palm. I know I shouldn't be saying what I was about to, but I had to be honest. "I guess what I want to know is why would a guy like you want anything to do with a girl like me? I mean, I'm not normal. In fact, I'm pretty crazy, you just haven't seen it yet. I cried on our first date, and what do you do? You take me out again the next night and now we're seeing each other. Is it just because you want to please Rick or are you feeling sorry for me?" A part of me wanted to cry now, but I couldn't, I have to be strong. I also needed to stop feeling sorry for myself, but this was how I felt. My emotional and psychological problems that cause me to have outbursts resulted in a lot of consequences from life.

It was one of the reasons my dad left, because my mom was more devoted to helping me than being his wife. People alienated themselves from me, which is why I was constantly bullied and had a lack of both friends and dates. The medications could only do so much, the majority was up to me. Since meeting Gareth, I've been trying really hard to keep myself under control, and I had for the most part, but how long would it last? It was something I have to worry about for the rest of my life, and it's something that whomever I end up with would have to endure as well, which is why me ever leading a normal life seemed almost hopeless.

Gareth turned his hand over and squeezed mine. "Melody, look at me." Once I found the courage to look into his eyes, all I saw was earnestness and not judgment. "This has nothing to do with Rick, his only involvement is bringing us together and that's it. No, I'm not dating you out of pity. Nobody is perfect, we all have issues and I don't think any less of you because of it. I really like you, Melody, a lot, and I could see myself getting serious with you."

I felt my eyes widen slightly. "Really, you can?"

He nodded. "Actually, I was going to bring this up earlier, but you were kind of preoccupied on the way to the party and you were sleeping most of the way back, so I figure the time is now. I already know Rick, Lori, and Carl, I've met your mom and now your friends, but with the exception of Martin the Moron, you haven't met anybody in my life. I'd really like to take things further with us and bring you home to meet my family."

"You do?" I was having to do everything possible to hold back the megawatt smile that was threatening to explode on my face. No guy I dated had ever wanted to introduce me to their family. I met Aiden's parents when we got back from the Senior Life Skills Retreat and again at graduation, I only met Randall's dad by accident, but to have a guy that actually wanted to bring me home?! This was a big step, but I was so touched that I wasn't apprehensive.

"Are you up for-"

"Yes!" I quickly pulled myself in. "I mean... Yeah, sure, dude. I'm down." I shrugged, trying to play it cool, but his smile told me I wasn't being judged.

"Alright, that's settled. What else is on your mind?"

"Now the other big thing I wanted to discuss, it's kind of the pink elephant in the room." Even with a chill picking up in the air, heat was rising to my cheeks and the nervous laughter was making a comeback. "This is kind of embarrassing."

"It's ok, don't be ashamed. You can tell me anything."

I had to bite the inside of my cheeks to stop the laughter and finally look Gareth in the eye. "Alright, here it goes, and I'm just gonna be blunt about it. When it comes to sex, I'm sort of in a grey area. I'm not a pro, but I'm not green, either. For goodness' sakes, I work in the adult entertainment business, it would be ridiculous if I didn't know anything at all." We shared a brief laugh before I continued talking.

"I've only slept with three guys, and honestly, I don't know if I've ever had an orgasm." This was true, I've faked all of them. Randall and Ben (the second guy I slept with) both insist that it happened, and with Shane, I definitely had to fake them because he was always staring right at me. I really don't think I've ever had one not provided by a vibrator. According to my mom and all the girls I've talked to in the porn business, _you know_. Now probably would have been the perfect time to tell Gareth about Shane and especially Rick, but I was still too ashamed, even though I knew that if we were going to get serious I'd have to tell him at some point.

"I'm going to just come out and say it: Gareth, I like you, too, a lot, but I'm also _very_ sexually and physically attracted to you. Like sometimes when we're together I think to myself "He's so hot, I really want him to just ravage me. Like throw me down and make me experience things that I've only seen and read about." Or "I would really love to blow him or give him a lap dance, I want to satisfy him." Then, other times I feel that because I'm so inexperienced, you may get turned off. I'm sure I sound insane, but there's this allure you have that makes me want to unleash the sexuality I always wanted and never knew I had within me. And that's all I have to say, so do with it what you will." I felt like my mind was suddenly lighter and was proud of myself for opening up about my desires, but I wasn't sure what to make of the look on Gareth's face.

**_GARETH_ **

After hearing everything Melody had to say, I was sure my jaw was to the floor. It's not so much that I was entirely in shock, more that I was also very flattered and impressed. All the while I had been trying to figure out how I was going to uncover more about her, and she had already made a start. Perhaps I had misjudged the situation. It was also fantastic to officially know that our attraction both physically and sexually was on the same level.

"Wow, thank you. I'm really flattered, I've been feeling the same connection honestly since we've met. While I do want to take that next step with you, I also have no problem waiting as long as you want or need."

"Really?"

I nodded. "Yes, really. I know sometimes you can be a little self conscious, but I already find you to be very sexy." She looked down and started giggling, I could tell she was a little embarrassed, so I put my hand on her thigh to get her to look at me. "I'm serious, you are. You just have this natural sexiness that you exude, you don't even have to try like so many other girls do. This is going to sound weird, but the littlest things about you turn me on. Like the way you apply your lipstick, how your dimples poke out when you're laughing, or how sometimes when we kiss you start nibbling my lip. I'm ready whenever you are, babe, but just know you're the only girl I'm thinking of." This was true. Ever since Melody and I started dating, I hadn't even bothered to take a double glance at another girl, she had my complete and undivided attention.

"Thanks, hun. You have no idea how much I appreciate your patience."

"Of course."

We looked out at the stars for a moment, the only sounds being the chirping of crickets, before looking back at each other. When our eyes met, the spark intensified. Melody and I simultaneously lunged forward, our lips crashing so hard I could feel my teeth chattering, our hands tangled in each other's hair as I laid her down. Furiously crisscrossing tongues and heated moans made the kisses more frantic, our combined passion was at full force, but then suddenly she stopped.

"Wait, wait, hold on a second." Melody fully pulled away, her hands on either side of my face.

"What? What's the matter? Too fast?" I was worried I had done something to make her uncomfortable.

"When was the last time you got tested? Sorry, I know that's personal, it's just Sally my Human Sexuality teacher told us we should always find out before getting physically intimate with somebody."

She really was too adorable for words. "It's fine, I'm glad you asked. You're a smart girl. I got tested back in May and everything came out clean." Actually, May was the third time I had gotten tested. The first time was almost immediately after I caught Theresa cheating on me back in January. That Sam looked like a total scuz bucket, who knew what he had?

The second time was in March following my weekend long tryst with Genevieve, the Judith Lieber representative I had bedded that was a leggy redhead with a thick French accent that was almost as tall as me, and the third time in May was after I slept Christine, the rep from Jaguar that was the older sister to Delilah Daltrey-Steverson, the former teen beauty queen turned model/actress that skyrocketed to international superstardom, as well as being happily married to the lead singer of the rock band Led Monkey. I've never told Melody that she reminded me of Delilah, they both had a similar build, albeit Melody was a couple inches shorter. Regardless, I was completely unscathed by my sexual conquests. "What about you?"

"It was July and nothing, I'm good to go." She leaned up and kissed me before I could reply, fully pulling me in on top of her. My hands went from her face to boldly going up her shirt and under her bra. I almost lost it when they came into contact with her incredibly large and soft breasts, they were all natural. While I wanted nothing more at this moment than to see Melody completely naked, I wasn't complaining.

"Oh, my god, you have the most amazing boobs. Melody, you're so gorgeous, your body drives me crazy."

She started nibbling my lip before kissing me harder, moaning heavily, and I knew she wanted me as much as I wanted her. Her hand was cold from the night air but her touch felt so warm as it slipped down the front of my pants and grabbed my throbbing erection, which was only growing longer as she started gliding her hand back and forth. I took my jacket off and lifted her up to lay it down, using it as a makeshift sheet. Melody flung my belt off, accidentally tossing it from the jungle gym and onto the rubber blacktop. "Sorry about that." She said in between kisses as she continued massaging me, unbuttoning and unzipping my jeans.

"It's fine. God, Melody, I want you so bad, like you wouldn't believe."

"Mmm, me too, Gareth." Melody grabbed my face as our make out session became more heated. "Do you have protection?"

"Yeah." I wrapped my hand around the back of her neck to kiss her zealously once more before I grabbed the trusted Trojan from the inside pocket of my jacket. I keep at least two condoms on me at all times – better safe than sorry in a moment of spontaneity- and switch them out if they aren't used. For the past month, this is what I had been waiting for, and nothing was going to get in our way. Now that Melody had told me she's never had a true orgasm, I wanted to be her first, I wanted to be the one to bring her to the stars. I was just about to tear the condom wrapper open when Melody retracted.

"Are you ok?"

She shook her head. "I'm allergic to latex condoms." Those five little words were the last thing I was expecting to hear.

**_FUCK! SO CLOSE YET SO FAR AWAY._ **

"I'm sorry, it just hurts a lot if I use latex. I mean, if you really want-"

I shook my head and gave her a light kiss. "No, it's alright. I'll make a note of it." I didn't want to express my disappointment and was trying everything to hide it, knowing that I'd be taking a super long, ice cold shower.

"There's something else I can do for you, though." Before I could question her, Melody turned us over so she was on top, the moonlight illuminated around her, creating a glow, and her eyes seemed to sparkle. She leaned in and kissed me as her hands traveled back to my pants, releasing my shaft from their constricted boxer brief residence.

"Melody, wait. Are you sure?" This is how I would imagine a horny teenager would feel, even though it wasn't my first time at the fair. Yes, I did want this to happen, but I also didn't want her to feel pressured at all.

"Yes, I'm sure. I want to satisfy and take care of you." That might possibly have been the sweetest thing a girl had ever said to me. Regardless of how long it was taking Melody to open up, that statement alone showed how much I really meant to her. She gazed down at my visible member and silently gasped.

"Oh, wow."

Her reaction was priceless, I had to do everything not to laugh. I was lucky enough to be very well endowed and hadn't received any complaints, but I wasn't entirely sure what to make of her surprise. "Everything ok?"

Melody looked up and nodded with a small smile. "Mmhmm. It's perfect. Just relax, Gareth." She licked her hand and began to stroke me while lowering herself, lying flat on her stomach as she started licking from the base to the top, delicately tonguing underneath the head before taking me in her mouth, inch by inch. The snug fit of my hard cock down Melody's throat was enough to make me cum on the spot, but God, did I want this to last.

"Mmm, Melody…" I laid back as she started licking and sucking my entire length, her teeth lightly grazing the sensitive skin sent tingles throughout my body. My eyelids kept threatening to close to further enjoy the sensation, but at the same time, I was utterly captivated. Captivated by the softness of her luscious lips and the gentle touch of her hand, feeling the utmost relaxation from one simple yet sexy act that caused me to lose my breath and go weak in the knees. Melody started sucking from the bottom to the top painfully slow, then picked up the speed and went back again, teasing me. She spun her tongue around the tip and sucked it completely without stopping, and that was when I could no longer hold back, allowing myself to fully release.

" ** _AHH, FUCK! MELODY!"_**

My dick started spasming in her mouth as my moans became uncontrollable, trying everything not to grip her hair while I came, opting for her free hand instead. The pleasure had taken over and clouded my mind, all I saw were black spots popping up everywhere. A few minutes later, when I opened my eyes to see Melody's beautiful face staring back at me, my already accelerated heartbeat went even faster.

"Hey, Wonder Boy." She shot me a laughing smile, which I returned.

"Hey yourself. Get over here, sexy girl." I pulled Melody towards my side, lazily wrapping my arm around her as my pants decreased and my breathing returned to normal. "Where on Earth did you learn to give head like that? They should be knighted, because that was just… wow, I'm speechless, Melody."

Melody looked away, trying not to laugh. "I guess I'm a natural. I was actually the one that taught Beth how to give a proper blowjob back when her and Noah started up, she hadn't been sexually active with her two previous boyfriends. Don't let the whole Taylor Swift look fool you. She may be a good girl in the streets, but she's definitely a freak in the sheets."

I glanced over at her and we both started laughing. "Is that so now?"

"Sure is. Neither one of us will ever be able to look at Popsicle popsicles or pickled cucumbers the same way again for the rest of our lives."

"I'll never be able to look at jungle gyms and play sets- hell, playgrounds in general- the same again after tonight. You're too much." I leaned over on my side, caressing her face and staring into those striking eyes. "How am I going to keep up with you?"

She shrugged. "You're a smart guy, I'm sure you'll figure it out. Except if you ever see the dark side of me, I know you'll be gone for good." Melody glanced down, and it upset me to see how even though she was seemingly happy, she was still troubled. I really hope that one day it would change.

"Hey." I rubbed my thumbs across the apples of her cheeks until she looked at me again. "No matter what happens, I'm here for you, Melody. I promise." With that, I leaned in and gave her a gentle kiss. "Especially after a blowjob like that."

Melody scoffed when I winked, but started laughing. "Yeah, right. I'd hope you wouldn't stick around for just that."

I shook my head. "I promise."

**_2:20 AM_ **

**_MELODY_ **

"Thanks again for tonight and for staying afterwards. I'm glad we were able to talk." While I was relieved that we had cleared the air on some things, I was slightly embarrassed over my actions at the park, I was way too forward. What Gareth failed to notice was that I had accidentally swallowed, and I was kind of mortified to mention it. Had the condom been lambskin, would we have ended up having sex right there in the jungle gym? What if I came off as clingy when I said I wanted to satisfy and take care of him? Whenever I had strong feelings for a guy, that's how I felt. I had felt it with Randall and Aiden, and now I'm feeling it with Gareth, which only meant one thing: I've fallen in love with him.

"Me too. You're not always easy to read, but I appreciate you opening up more, I'm really glad." Gareth said as he walked me to the door.

"I know, I'm weird like that sometimes, but it's only temporary. There's just a lot on my mind." I ran my fingers up and down the sleeve of his jacket. "That really is an awesome jacket, you lucked out finding it."

"Thanks, and don't worry. I don't ever want you to feel pressured to tell me anything, but I hope you'll let me in entirely one day." His words hurt in the sense that we were both aware of how guarded I was.

"I have a feeling I will, you'll see. Patience is a virtue, and you've got lots of it." I wanted to, but would I ever fully let him in? God knows he's more than worth it, but what is holding me back? I really need to think this over.

"That's true. I had an excellent time with you, as always." He wrapped me up for one final embrace of the night. I let it linger, allowing myself that brief moment to get lost in the scent of his cologne and the feel of being in his arms.

"Me, too. Good night, babe." I stood on my tip-toes so our lips could meet. Whenever we kissed, I felt both calm and excited, like I could relax yet also be aroused. I really needed to figure everything out, I was just a confetti ball of jumbled thoughts and emotions.

"Good night, gorgeous." When I turned around to open the door, I felt him pinch my butt, which made my eyes widen and turn around, laughing.

"Gareth!"

He shrugged, giving me an innocent look before cracking a sly smile. "What?"

I rolled my eyes. "You're a cheeky bastard, ya know that? I give you an inch and you take a mile." I winked, letting him know I was just teasing.

"I know, I'm just playing around. Call you later?"

"Ok. Bye, sweets, sleep well."

"I will, and you too. Bye, baby."

Every time he called me a pet name, it made my heart flutter just a little bit faster. He really was so cute, and I knew my friends were right. This was everything I wanted in a guy, a perfectly wrapped package presented on a silver platter. Why after almost five years of dating and hooking up with idiots had the universe finally sent me a good guy? There had to be a Catch-22 that I had missed somewhere, nothing is ever this easy, and my stubbornness would be sure to find out what it was.

**_ENCINO, 45 MINUTES LATER_ **

**_GARETH_ **

" ** _Whoa, my love_**

**_My darling_ **

**_I've hungered for your touch_ **

**_A long, lonely time_ **

**_And time goes by so slowly_ **

**_And time can do so much_ **

**_Are you still mine?"_ **

I smiled as I walked in the house through the garage door. "Unchained Melody" by The Righteous Brothers had been playing on the radio on the drive home, and it immediately made me think of Melody. Now, it was stuck in my head and I softly sang it throughout the house so I wouldn't wake anybody up. As crazy as it sounds, I had been feeling it for a while, but I knew after tonight: I was completely in love with her.

" ** _I need your love_**

**_I need your love_ **

**_God speed your love to me_ **

**_Lonely rivers flow to the sea, to the sea_ **

**_To the open arms of the sea_ **

**_Lonely rivers sigh, "Wait for me, wait for me_ **

**_I'll be coming home, wait for me""_ **

My Melody. It sure has a nice ring to it. The sucky thing was I really couldn't tell her this soon, it would probably scare her off. Melody had barely just let me in, except I couldn't help but feel this way. They say that a man knows if he's fallen in love with a woman by the third date, maybe I just didn't realize it until now. It wasn't going to be easy holding this in, I literally wanted to shout from the rooftops how crazy about this girl I was.

" ** _Whoa, my love_**

**_My darling_ **

**_I've hungered, hungered for your touch_ **

**_A long, lonely time_ **

**_And time goes by so slowly_ **

**_And time can do so much_ **

**_Are you still mine?"_ **

Time was going to play a big factor in all this. I had already been patient, I just needed to keep it up. I also had a feeling she was going to break all her walls down sooner than I thought she would.

" ** _I need your love_**

**_I need your love_ **

**_God speed your love to me"_ **

I was about to head to my room when I heard the sound of Bob Marley playing from my brother's room. Smirking to myself, I opened up the door to see Alex shirtless and on the floor by the foot of his bed, lighting up his bong. He was the epitome of the typical stoner, with his unruly curly hair, wannabe facial hair, and pot belly, it was pretty hilarious at times. "Hey, _Bongwater_."

"Dude, shut the door!" He motioned me in as I closed the door.

"Why are you still awake? The girls are sleeping, you don't want to wake them up."

Alex shook his head. "I won't. Lizzie is reading Stephen King books under the covers with a flashlight, The Moms are doing Positions 50-100 in Karma Sutra." Sometimes, having two mothers was confusing, so we just called ours "Mom" and Carol "Momrol", which Alex came up with when he was younger. The girls are still young, so they call my mom "Mom" and Carol "Mommy".

"Gee, thanks, I'll go alert _Penthouse_." I glanced over at his TV to see a very graphic threesome. "Why are you watching porn?"

"I'm horny, bro. Did I hear you singing that song from _Ghost_ or am I just completely baked out of my skull?"

I shook my head, smiling to myself. "No, that's what you heard."

"Pussy. Wanna hit?"

I shrugged, taking the lighter and the bong. "Sure." Normally, I prefer joints to bongs, but the thought of a hit before bed was tempting, even though I was still in a nirvana like state after that incredible blow job.

"Dude, you're pretty serious about this chick, huh? I can't remember you ever singing an overrated love song about a girl."

I was trying not to laugh as I breathed in, the water rapidly bubbling before I inhaled, holding it in and then exhaling it out. "It's the only song with her name in it, and she's more than just some chick, Alex. I think I met the girl I'm going to marry."

For some reason, he found that to be hysterically funny and burst into laughter. "Yeah, you said the same thing about Theresa, broseph, and look what happened there. You found her riding the pool boy's face in what would have been your marital bed. Besides, how's Melanie going to react to what you've yet to tell her?"

I rolled my eyes. While my brother was cool, he was also a giant pain in the ass more times than he should be. "Her name is Melody, _not_ Melanie, and I'm going to tell her. She's so guarded though, I'm worried if I tell her now she'll be spooked. It's all about timing, but she will know."


	10. Second Guessing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A day in Melody's life. Melody seeks advice from Lori, her mother, porn star Rosita "Señorita Caliente" Espinoza, The Dixon Brothers, and Beth on her feelings for Gareth and her actions.

**Hi everybody! I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas! I decided to post one last chapter before the new year! The next update will be either before or on January 9th to commemorate the one year anniversary of _Forever Rising Phoenix_ , which will also be updated! It seems obvious that Gareth and Melody have a lot of sexual tension, huh? Hehe :P Sorry if Beth seems a little out of character, I just wanted her to let her hair down a bit.**

**_Chapter Ten: Second Guessing_ **

**_Calabasas, Thursday, October 9th, 7:40 am,_ **

**_LORI_ **

"So it's been almost a week since you've spoken to him?" I asked Melody as we turned the corner of Collingwood Circle. Every day for the past month and a half, we've been getting up early and going for walks around the neighborhood. It was a relaxing exercise and it gave us time to talk and catch up before the day got busy with our other obligations. Sometimes we'd bring Simba and Butterscotch along with us, like we had today.

"Yes, it has. We were going to hang out on Saturday, but I said I forgot I had errands to run. I'm too embarrassed, I think now he just sees me as an easy piece of ass."

I rolled my eyes. "Melody, no. I see the way he looks at you. It's so cute, you two have a total puppy love thing going on, but I've noticed you're a little bit shy, like how you won't openly kiss him in front of us."

She raised her eyebrows at me in confusion. "What? Yes, I have."

"Not like Rick and I kiss each other. It's more like a peck and it's usually when nobody is around, like last week before I came down the stairs. Plus, Maggie told me the same thing."

"Ok, you're both right. Simba, stop smelling Mrs. Kirkman's grass! She already thinks I'm a little slut, I don't need her thinking my dog is untrained." Melody pulled Simba away from The Kirkman's lawn, and that was when a sudden thought dawned on me.

"Is it because of what happened in front of the neighbors and that's why you won't kiss him more often in public?"

She nodded. "Yes, and I know it's something I need to get over. Believe me, I wanna kiss him like in the movies, more than just a peck, but I'm worried I'll scare him off."

"Don't worry what Mrs. Kirkman and the other B.O.B.s think. If you want to kiss him, kiss him! That's how I feel with Rick."

"Roberta Kirkman is the queen of the Bitter Old Bitches. If Gareth and I last, I will, and nothing will stop me. I'm not too freaked out that I haven't heard from him as much, I know that they're putting the finishing touches on the Trojan and Audi accounts, not to mention prepping for the Mikimoto presentation in a few weeks. Plus, we're both preoccupied with baseball, too. The Giants won the Wild Card Game and are facing off against the Cardinals. I still don't get how you're married to a Dodgers fan."

"Baseball wasn't one of my dating requirements, but it seems to be yours, which is why Gareth is perfect for you."

"He's a little too good to be true, Lori. I'm waiting for the bottom to fall out. Watch, it will be something like "Hey, Melody. I've decided to get back with my ex, she promised never to cheat on me again." Or "I'm moving to Siberia forever." Or "I've come to the realization that I'm actually gay and you disgust me.", and they'll all end with "Sorry, babe, but thanks for that outstanding blowjob. Maybe you should pursue a career in porn after all."

I couldn't help but start laughing, my little sister had a tendency to be kind of nutty with her theories. "Melody, do you listen to yourself when you speak? Do you think if he were any of those things that I'd beg Rick to fix you two up? Absolutely not, you know me better than that, I'd never do you wrong, munchkin head." I ruffled her hair, which made her cross her eyes and stick her tongue out to the side. "Hey, I've got a great idea. Rick and I are going out on Saturday, why don't you have a movie night? Invite your friends, order some pizzas, it'll be fun." I had been suggesting to Melody for quite some time that she have a movie night at the house, considering we have a huge TV and she has over 600 DVDS, I figured it would be good for her.

She thought it over for a moment before nodding with a shrug, but I could see the slightest hint of a smile. "Yeah, ok. I mean, let's hope people will come since it's two days away, but I'll definitely do it."

"Good, and invite Gareth, too. A week is long enough, just break the barrier."

"I'm trying, I really am. Did I tell you that he wants to introduce me to his family?"

"What? No! Why didn't you tell me sooner?! Honey, that's so great!"

"Yes, I know, but I'm kind of nervous. This is the first guy that's wanted to bring me home, what if they don't like me?" I looked down to see the disbelief in her eyes and it really broke my heart how she doubted what a truly wonderful girl she was.

"Not gonna happen, they'll love you." While I already knew that, I just hoped Melody would come around and believe it as well.

**_Panera Bread, Sherman Oaks, 12:46 pm_ **

**_MELODY_ **

"I'm so glad we still have Panera Thursday." I said to my mom after our food was brought to the table. Last summer, after an unsatisfactory experience, we decided to give Panera Bread another shot and have been coming here every Thursday since. No matter what, rain or shine, we never missed a Panera Bread Thursday.

"Me, too. How are things going? I feel like we hardly talk anymore, Melody."

"I know, right? It's been about four months and it still feels weird not living with you."

"I know, but it was time for me to let you fly away from the nest. You're going to be twenty one soon, you're already graduated and trying to pursue your career. By the way, have you heard back from any of the universities you applied to?"

I shook my head. "Nope, not yet. The letters probably got lost in the mail." I had applied to some of the best schools in the country and out of eight, I had only gotten into six. Pepperdine, UCLA, LMU, Columbia, Dartmouth, and Pace had all accepted me based on my grades and extracurricular activities, but what really sealed the deal was my admissions essay about how my famous father's rejection was the fuel that strived me to be the best I could possibly be. Yes, there were times where I  _did_ own up to being The Governor's daughter, which I know is shameless, but it was so rare it didn't even matter. I was trying to figure out a way to tell my family I had gotten in, but I was worried they'd miss me too much, especially my mom and Lori.

"I'm sure. What else is new? How are things with Gareth?"

Just hearing his name made me smile and a bit jumpy at the same time, I couldn't help it, I guess that's what love does. "They're good, he wants to bring me home to meet his moms and siblings. I really like him." There's no way I was about to tell my mom that I had fallen in love with Gareth, because I already knew she was going to tell me that it was way too soon. Even though I could tell my mother anything, I wasn't telling her that I gave him a blow job after one in the morning in a jungle gym, I'd never here the end of it.

"What's not to like? He's articulate, polite, has an incredible job and a sense of humor."

"And he's a total hottie." I sighed, resting my chin in my hand as I thought of his sexy lips, his eyes, where his hands were the other night… Except Mom made a bit of a face at that comment, which left me feeling uneasy. "What?"

She shook her head "Nothing, hun."

"Come on, Mom. I know that look. Spill the beans or I'll eat your bread." I had a mischievous glint in my eye as I grabbed her French baguette, but she placed her hand over mine before I could fully slide it off the plate.

"You will not. Alright, fine, I'll tell you. It's not that Gareth is ugly, I guess he's good looking, but you've always had a thing for those soft, effeminate types."

My mouth flew open in shock. "I can't believe you just said that! Gareth is freaking hot, sometimes I have to stop myself from full on licking his face. Those lips, and that jaw, ooo baby."

She cracked a smile. "Alright, alright, I get the point, jelly bean butt. Gareth is the type of guy that you should be with. He makes you happy, which makes me very happy, and that's all that matters, your happiness. I only want the best for you girls, I hope you always know that."

I nodded. "I do."

"Are you excited to meet his family?"

"Yes, excited and a little anxious. This is the first time I've ever met the family of somebody I'm dating, what if they don't like me?" I said as I started spreading yellow mustard on my turkey sandwich.

"Oh, shugie, you're a lovely girl, I'm sure you'll dazzle them, and no, I'm not simply saying this because you're my baby."

"Thanks, Mom." No matter what, my mom always knew how to cheer me up. "I'm having a movie night at Lori's on Saturday, wanna come?" My friends adore my mom and are always asking her for advice. Sometimes, I think that they're only friends with me so they can be close to her, but I know that's not true.

"Thanks for the invite, Melody, but I already have plans for Saturday night."

"Ooo, is that so? What, do you have a hot date or something?"

"Actually, yes, I do." Mom said before blowing on her soup.

"Don't act all coy with me, Mommy! I want details, so spill!" It had been such a long time since my mom dated. The last man was Tony, a thirty six year old failed actor turned Cadillac car salesman who was only interested in her being his sugar mama. When the money was stolen, he hit the road, which was a shame because him and I had grown very close. I hoped that this new guy was worth it, and I personally thought any guy would be crazy not to date her. Mom was gorgeous, intelligent, funny, had an actual personality and sense of humor, not to mention a total survivor. She's a catch!

"There's not much to say. We've been dating for almost two months and I have a good feeling about this one, I think you and your sister will like him. I just don't want to jinx anything by blabbing too soon."

I could tell she was holding something back, but I decided not to further pursue it, because I trusted her judgment. "Alright, that's cool. Are you going to bring him to The Monster Mash Bash?" Every year, Rick and Lori would throw this elaborate Halloween party at their house, or as I dubbed the event "The Monster Mash Bash", turning the place into a haunted mansion with sound effects and fog machines, the works. As always, I would be helping Lori, because when it comes to party planning or organization in general, we're a pair of aces. Noah and Glenn had already been hired to DJ and film it all, respectively. Gareth was coming as my date, I had asked him while he was in Toyko and he happily accepted, all that was left pretty much is to find a sexy costume. We're supposed to go shopping next week, so I really need to get it together and speak to him.

"I don't know, yet. Maybe for Thanksgiving if all goes well. Are you bringing Gareth to Lori's?"

I kind of grimaced. Since losing our money and house, Lori was hosting Thanksgiving and Christmas, which started two years ago. Being so accustomed to having it at my house, this wasn't sitting well with me, I felt like I had lost a huge part of me and the holiday spirit, but I was going to suck it up. Even though things were a lot better now, I'm still pretty damaged from everything that happened, and I honestly didn't know if I'd make a full recovery or forgive my mom.

In my mind, I made a selfless sacrifice by allowing her to take my money to pay the mortgage, she thought she'd be paying me back soon, it's what her lawyer had led us to believe. Instead, I ended up jeopardizing my future when we lost everything. It wasn't her fault, but I still held some resentment. Dr. Mamet says I have to forgive her, but this really turned my life upside down. Losing everything, being rejected by some and being too proud to take help from others. Up until we lost our house, I hadn't told anybody what was going on, not Maggie or Beth or Tara, my mom didn't tell anybody either, until after a year of being house squatters following the foreclosure, we had to leave.

We could have stayed with Lori or my aunt Rachelle, but Mom was too embarrassed. I had applied for over five hundred jobs and couldn't get hired except the occasional makeup gig, and it didn't help that I wasn't driving until last December when I finally passed my driving test, but even then my dad refused to give a shit and pretty much ignored me, which was the tip of the iceberg for my depression. I can't help but wonder if we'd still be living with Grams if I hadn't bumped into Merle and he got us the jobs. Mom was able to go off food stamps, but because I don't make enough, I'm still on them, which again, my dad doesn't care about. Once again, I saved the day, but when it comes to family, sometimes you have to be a savior. Gareth had to with his family, and I kind of had to with mine as well.

"What, so he can be bombarded by Grams and Great Grandma Jun-Jun?" Jun-Jun was my glamorous, sass talking, hip swagging, great grandma that always said whatever was on her mind and was way over the top with everything she did. Jun-Jun was considered a clone of Joan Rivers but without  _as much_ plastic surgery, she was actually pretty fun to smoke pot with. While Grams drank, Jun-Jun smoked pot, but she was also an overbearing Jewish mother. I knew that I would be blitzed with a thousand questions and comments, but I had a feeling she would ultimately like Gareth.

"Gareth seems like he could handle both of them."

"Let's hope so. Who knows if we'll even be together by then?" Once the words flew out of my mouth, I hoped that we would be officially together by then. As hesitant as I am to move forward, I could see myself with Gareth, but I need to figure things out already.

**_Malibu, 2:00 PM_ **

"Chica, there's nothing wrong with giving a little blowjob! You're totally overreacting."

"I don't know. Close your mouth, Rosie." I said as I applied warm bronze gloss on her lips. Rosita "Senorita Caliente" Espinoza was the female equivalent of Daryl, one of the most well-known and popular actors in the adult entertainment industry. Earlier this year, she had been exposed as Lieutenant Governor of California Caesar Martinez' mistress and revealed all the sordid details of their affair on  _Dr. Phil_  and  _Good Morning America_. It was basically a combination of a sob story and a harlequin romance, the first half was Martinez saying she was his true love and he would leave his wife and children for her while the second half was how he liked to have sex during charity dinners and balls, getting off on the thrill of possibly being caught.

Unfortunately, stories like this all have the same ending: Martinez made a public speech expressing his sorrow to look like a better man, his wife stayed with him because she was too weak to make her own way, and Rosita faded from the headlines. A lot of people thought she was a dumb, home wrecking slut, but I actually liked her. That, and after what I did with Rick, I really have no place to be judging anybody on infidelity. Besides, The Lieutenant Governor of California's mistress and The Governor of California's troubled daughter? It was practically a match made in dysfunctional heaven.

"From what you told me, it sounds like you made his night. I want details, woman! What did it look like, or rather,  _whom_  did it look like? Lexington Steele? Csoky Ice? Johnny Sins? Frank Major? James Deen? What about Daryl?" She smiled slyly as I rolled my eyes while applying shadow on her eyelids.

"I don't know, Rosita! Ok, fine, I'll tell you. I was able to get the whole thing in my mouth and not gag on it…" I looked down, silently giggling. I actually really liked doing that to him, and I kind of hoped that my apprehensions would wash away soon so I could do it again, in addition to seeing what else would happen. "Come to think about it, everything about his light saber was perfect, but most of all, it didn't reek or taste like salmon wrapped cock, like so many others do."

"Whose cock didn't reek like it was wrapped up in salmon? I know mine never does, I go Axe Body with that shit."

I knew my face was probably cherry red the minute he stopped speaking and I looked over to see Daryl approaching us with a smirk on his face as Rosita tried not to snicker.

"That's right, Papi. I definitely know your taste inside and out."

"Oh, my god! How much of that did you hear?"

"All of it, actually. Who we talking about, the new guy?" Daryl asked as he adjusted his red and black silk robe. People discredit porn stars a lot, because Daryl was so much more than that. Even before he was approached for  _Fifty Shades_ , Daryl was in the headlines. Two years ago, he and Merle played a huge part in the passing of Measure B, the "Safer Sex in the Adult Film Industry Act", requiring all porn actors to wear condoms during filming, which was done to limit the spread of HIV/AIDS. The Dixon brothers were also famous for their stints in the World Poker Tour, with each of them winning twice.

Rosita nodded with a smile. "Yep, our up and comer over here got her man up and coming."

I slapped my palm to my forehead in embarrassment as the two of them laughing, despite the fact that it was funny.

"You get her to spill the beans about the new boyfriend, baby brother?" Before I could even answer, Merle walked up. My mom had told him that I was dating Gareth when I was a little discreet about why I was so happy at work, and ever since then, I was getting pestered left and right about it. It wasn't that I didn't want to discuss it, believe me, I did, I guess I was a little shy to say how he's just so fantastic.

"Hello, darlin." Merle smiled as he wrapped an arm around my neck and gave me a kiss on the head.

"Hey, M.D." I had grown really close to both Daryl and Merle in the past few months that I've been working for Vivid. In a way, they were my saving grace, rescuing me from the Tony Robbins freaks and helping me get on my feet again workwise. All in all, they were very protective of me, so I understood why they were so curious about my love life.

"More or less, sounds like she kneeled at the altar for this guy."

"Hey!" He slapped Daryl upside the head. "Watch your language in front of Melody. That's her business to share with whomever, not yours."

"Alright. Damn, brother, get your rocks off or something." Daryl rubbed the back of his head. It was pretty funny to see them interact, especially when they were goofing around, and I could feel more was coming by the looks they were giving me.

"Melody, you've been walking around for the past month like you've had wings on your shoes. I can tell by the look in your eyes, somebody's in love!"

"How can you tell, from the five times you've been married?" Daryl lightly punched Merle in the arm before they both looked back at me.

"Why don't you bring this guy around so your Uncle Merle here can see what he's all about? I gotta make sure he's good for our youngin'."

"No way am I bringing him or any guy I date on the set! I'd be totally embarrassed."

"There's nothing to be ashamed about."

"I know, I know. You'll meet him eventually, at the Monster Mash Bash, thanks for R.S.V.P.'ing. Which reminds me, I'm having a movie night on Saturday, do you guys want to come?"

Rosita nodded. "Sure. Text me the info."

"Yeah, I'm game."

"Sorry, kid. I've got plans. Maybe a rain check." Merle ruffled my hair. "But I can't wait for the party, I've got the mother of all costumes."

"Yo, Melody! Heads up!"

As I looked over my shoulder, I didn't have time to react at the giant ball of hot pink that came flying my way and literally knocked me off my feet and onto the floor. Whatever sent me flying seemed to weigh a ton, and I began to struggle before Daryl lifted it off of me so I could finally catch my breath.

"Agh! T-Dog! What the heck?!"

"Sorry, I thought you could catch it." T-Dog was one of the head production assistants, whose job consisted of running to the Hustler store to get dildos and other sex toys, which contributed to a lack of fun and personality.

"Very funny." I rose to my feet and brushed myself off as I looked over to see a life sized metallic pink Hello Kitty wearing a San Francisco Giants baseball hat and jersey. My face broke out in the biggest smile, despite my embarrassment over the fall. "Awww! It's so cutie! Whose it from, T- Dog?"

He shrugged. "I don't know, I just deliver. There's a card on the hat though. Peace, T-Dog out." T Dog made a fist to his chest and pointed at me before walking off.

"I don't think you need to read the card. I haven't read it yet and I already know who it's from."

"Don't get your hopes up, maybe it's from my dad." I looked over at Daryl, Merle, and Rosita for a brief second before we all burst into laughter.

"Like he'd ever do anything that spontaneous." Rosita commented.

"Totally." I picked up the card and my smile broadened when I read it.

" ** _Melody,_**

**_Thinking of you, thought I'd say "Hello". :)_ **

**_Hot Lips."_ **

"Yeah, very sweet, does anybody wanna take over? Holding this damn thing has made the sash on my robe loosen." Daryl whined.

"Ha, sure, I've got it, dude." I took the massive Hello Kitty out of his arms and put it in the spare makeup chair.

"Finally. Sounds like somebody's in love with you, back."

The tint in my cheeks became even pinker as I blushed and looked down. "Nu-uh! We haven't talked in a while, maybe he just misses me, but I don't think its love yet." The thought of Gareth being in love with me too made my heart beat accelerate. While I wanted him to be my boyfriend, I knew that he couldn't.

"Well endowed and well mannered. Sounds like a keeper, girlfriend." Rosita elbowed me with a smile.

"He could have just called or texted you, but he went out of his way to send you something special. Just think about it, Melody. Ok, places everybody! Daryl, Rosita, to the bed." Merle said, clapping as he walked off with Daryl and Rosita following him. They were right, this was very heartfelt and I was touched, it also provided me with a great icebreaker.

**_Yogurtland, Reseda, 4:30 pm_ **

" _Do not_  tell your sister we went here, or she'll chew my ass out. I shouldn't even be eating this, I've already had a cupcake today when I was at Panera Bread earlier." Beth and I strolled out of Yogurtland, our new favorite frozen yogurt joint, and took a seat at one of the front patio tables. We used to frequent Golden Spoon quite often, but last year most of them closed down and turned into The Tizzy Café, so we started coming to Yogurtland. As crazy as this sounds, yogurt plays a big part in our friendship. It brought us together as kids and even now when things are rough, having a heart to heart over a cup of fro-yo was good for the soul.

"Relax, you've already worked out twice today. You're way too hard on yourself. Besides, I love Yogurtland. They have way more flavors than Golden Spoon, not to mention the metallic spoons and Hello Kitty cups are so cute." Like me, Beth also found joy in the little things in life.

"Didn't you see my driving companion?" I nodded my head out to my car at the giant metallic pink Hello Kitty strapped in my front seat. "My lover butt sent it to me."

"Awww, that is so sweet! I know I told you this, but I really like Gareth, Melody. It's almost like he was tailor made for you! Maggie and I were discussing it, you're both G+M AND G+M! Gleggie and Garody." Again, like me, Beth was also a hopeless romantic. Back when she was with Jimmy and Zack, I worried she was a little naïve, but she's definitely pulled her head out of the clouds now.

"I know, she told me that earlier at Zumba. I know there's something being hidden from me about him, I can't shake the feeling. This is torture, why can't I just stop all this and let go? I let my guard down enough to give him a blowjob and look what happened. I've barely talked to Gareth in a week."

"I think you're afraid of getting hurt, Melody, but what I don't get is why you think you're not worthy of getting a great guy, or why you're doubting that he's genuinely interested in you. If he wasn't interested, would he have asked you out again after you cried at dinner?"

I shook my head, swirling around the rainbow sprinkles in my yogurt. "No, but maybe that was out of pity."

"If it was out of pity, he wouldn't have asked you out for a third date. If he was trying to get into your pants, I'm sure he would have tried something by now, don't you think? Gareth wouldn't have met your friends if he wasn't interested in being a bigger part of your life, nor would he want to introduce you to his own family. I watched you two all night at the party, and he was just mesmerized by you, MeMe. Please give him a chance, and give yourself a chance to be happy, too."

Beth looked at me with sad eyes. I knew she was right and that I had to let go of my inhibitions, because it might just cost me what has so far been my best relationship.

"You're right. I really need to stop being so damn stubborn. How's your bananas foster cinnamon roll oatmeal cookie?" I took a bite from Beth's cup, to which she laughingly scoffed.

"Hey! Well, how's your birthday and red velvet cupcake batter lava flow?" She took a bite from my cup next and we both started laughing.

"Don't forget, we're yogurt sisters for life, Bethy."

"Forever and always." We clinked our spoons together before going back to our respective cups.

"So Saturday night Rick and Lori are going out, she thinks that I should invite some friends over for a movie night. Are you and Noah free? Gleggie is already coming, Sasha might stop by, same with Daryl and Rosita, I just need to text Tara and Stefon."

"I am working on the farm with my dad in the morning and then studying for a test, but I'm free at night. Let me ask Noah. Have you invited Gareth?" Beth asked as she whipped out her phone and sent Noah a text.

"Uh, not yet."

Her mouth flew open. "What? Why not? Call him right now! I bet you haven't even thanked him for Herro Kiki yet." "Herro Kiki" was what we called Hello Kitty when we were little, and it kind of stuck.

"I can't call right now, he's probably busy, and I know I'll just get tongue tied. I'll text him." The truth of the matter was that I was waiting until he got off work so I would have his undivided attention.

Beth shook her head. "No, you won't. You're calling him right now." She started bopping her head from side to side with her usual trademark smile. "Call him. Caalll him. Caaalll hiiim. Caaaallll hiiiim. Ca-"

"Alright, alright, alright!" I held up my hand. "Now all I can hear in my head is Matthew Mcconaughey saying that. It's settled, we're watching  _Dallas Buyers Club_." We looked over at each other and started laughing.

"Sorry about that, you just needed a push."

"I know, I'm calling him right now." I whipped out my phone and scrolled through it for Gareth's number. "Happy?"

She nodded as she took another bite of my yogurt with a smile. "Mmhmm."

**_Reviews are encouraged! Please read and follow and spread the word! NO FLAMES! HAPPY NEW YEAR! :)_ **


	11. The Wolf of Woodbury

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While in crunch mode over Woodbury's next commercial pitches, Gareth receives a call from Melody, sparking both his creative genius and courage to stand up to the disrespectful jerk Shane, whose lashes out at Rick in a jealous rage. Gareth introduces Melody to his siblings Alex and Sophia and his best friend Albert, but he becomes concerned when Daryl and Rosita get a little to close for comfort with both him and Melody. Melody takes Gareth to her room to talk, who has no idea what she wants to discuss, but knows he has things to say as well.

**Hi everybody! Happy New Year! I decided to post today but the next update will definitely be on January 9th to commemorate the one year anniversary of _Forever Rising Phoenix_ , which will also be updated! It seems obvious that Gareth and Melody have a lot of sexual tension, huh? Even more so after this chapter! Hehe :P You'll be happy to see Sophia in this chapter! Let me know what you think of Gareth's ringtone for Melody! ;) AND AGAIN, MORE CHARACTERS FROM TWD IN THIS CHAPTER! :)**

**_DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NOR HAVE ANY AFFILIATIONS WITH THE WALKING DEAD OR ANIMALS. ALL PROPERTIES OWNED BY FRANK DARABONT AND AMC (TELEVISION SERIES), ROBERT KIRKMAN AND TONY MOORE (COMIC BOOK SERIES), AND MAROON 5, RESPECTIVELY. I ONLY OWN MY OWN ORIGINAL IDEAS AND CHARACTERS._ **

**_Chapter Eleven: The Wolf of Woodbury_ **

**_WOODBURY BRAIN LAB, 4:45 PM_ **

**_GARETH_ **

"Again, we've got T minus two days for the Trojan and Audi commercial pitches, twenty three days for the final Mikimoto meeting. What have we come up with so far?" I stood with Rick at the head of the table, watching balls of paper flying back and forth in frustration. At times, I felt more creative when I was mobile, which is why in the Brain Lab I was almost always standing, sometimes pacing.

We were in serious crunch mode. The Brain Lab was where we went whenever we had to brainstorm for a campaign, sometimes spending the whole night crunching for a presentation the next morning or hammering out last minute details. It was me, Rick, Shane, my design partner Martin, and all the department heads. Morales from Account Executives, Mitch and Pete of the new Television and Merchandise departments, respectively, Ross from Website Development and Design, Paul from Social Media, Oscar from Digital Photography, and Miguel from Commercial Printing. Our assistants sat in on every meeting to dictate notes and get us take out, even though there was tons of candy and energy drinks on hand to keep us wired. They also held onto our phones so we wouldn't be distracted or slacking off, the only exception to answering was if it was a wife, girlfriend, or crucial emergency.

Sometimes, we spent two days holed up in here, and by the time we completed the assignment, we looked like The Night of The freaking Living Dead. The room was dubbed "The Brain Lab" by the original founder and current California Governor Phillip Blake's daughter Melanie. It was unreal how in less than a year this company went from only printing and graphic design to also being an ad agency, and now we had offices on the East Coast. The enlargement had been a small work in progress for years, but once we landed the Disney deal, it opened the floodgates and word of mouth got us our other top clients. We all worked together, but I had been the brains behind all of this. I like to think that I was The Wolf of Woodbury.

"How about a bunch of mud wrestling chicks and the guy picks up one of them afterwards, but we focus solely on the chicks. That'll make the guys wanna go out and put their peckers in something." Shane cackled as he chewed on a 3 Musketeers, causing us to glare at him. He wasn't always so pig headed, but today in particular he was.

"I'm with you on that, brother! Woo-Hoo!" Martin slapped palms with Shane as they both started laughing.

"Yeah, that won't even be on the air for 30 seconds before we all get a call from the FCC that it's been yanked from the airwaves." Mitch said.

"This is a commercial for condoms, Shane, not a Motley Crüe music video. Leave your anatomy out of it." I frowned over at Shane in disgust. Sometimes, it was impossible to respect him businesswise because of his attitude, and I really didn't know how such a down to earth guy like Rick could ever be best friends with a sleazy misogynist like Shane.

"Gareth is right, you guys. This isn't the time to goof off, we have a lot riding on these pitches." Rick spoke up. One of the things I admired about Rick was that he always kept his eye on the prize and wasn't afraid to voice whatever was on his mind in the most professional manner possible. In a way, I like to think that we're friends. When I first started at Woodbury, I was only supposed to be in the background, stuck in a cubicle doing menial work, but Rick saw something in me. He believed in my potential and gave me a chance by taking me under his wing, which is something I'm forever grateful for.

"Nothing wrong with having a little fun on the job, buddy. Maybe the two of you should get the sticks out of your asses and loosen up."

"Whatever, let's get back to work already."

**_"Baby, I'm preying on you tonight_ **

**_Hunt you down eat you alive_ **

**_Just like animals, animals, like animals-mals_ **

**_Maybe you think that you can hide_ **

**_I can smell your scent for miles_ **

**_Just like animals, animals, like animals-mals"_ **

I had to do everything to hide the smile that was threatening to spread across my face when "Animals" by Maroon 5 started playing, meaning that only one person was calling. Plus, all eyes were on me when my phone rang.

"Gareth-"

"I'll be right back, I have to take this." I quickly walked down to the end of the table, ignoring the looks and whispers, taking the phone from my assistant Kaylee before walking out the door, barely waiting for it to close as I answered it. "I thought I was going to have to file a missing person's report." Her laughter on the other end made my smile broaden.

"Did I ever tell you about the joke my parents still make to this day? Whenever I said I was worried about getting kidnapped, they'd say "Melody, if that ever happened, the kidnappers would bring you back within a half an hour and pay us the ransom money."

I couldn't help but chuckle. "They did? That's awful. Funny, but awful. How have you been?"

"I'm alright, just at Yogurtland with Beth. Did I catch you at a bad time?"

I turned around to see Shane and Martin making asses out of themselves with Martin bent over and Shane pretending to ride him while Rick rolled his eyes and the assistants looked grossed out, some of the other guys appeared to be laughing. "I stepped out of a creative meeting, but I can talk."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know. Just call me back later."

"No, it's fine, really. I wanted to talk to you. Besides, we're kind of stumped right now."

"Good. First off, I wanted to thank you for Herro Kiki."

"Huh?" The next thing I heard was giggling in the background before Melody laughingly said "Damn you, Beth!".

"What was that, Melody?" I instantly thought of somebody else I know that called her "Herro Kiki".

"Sorry, I meant Hello Kitty, Herro Kiki is what we called her when we were little. Daryl Dixon and Rosita Espinoza thought it was freaking adorable, as does anybody that's driven by my car today."

"Well, I'm glad you liked it, beautiful. I had it custom made on a rush order."

"It was really sweet of you, heart throb. Second, I'm having some people over on Saturday for a movie night, I was wondering if you wanted to come? It'll be fun, Carl and his friend Patrick will be there, so why don't you bring your sister so they have somebody to hang out with? You can bring your friends, too, if you want."

I couldn't help but get kind of a mixed vibe from her, was she inviting me as just a friend? It couldn't be, friends don't give each other blowjobs, do they? "I'll have to move some things around-"

"Or not. If you can't come, no worries, we'll hang out some other-"

"I'll be there, let me check and see what Sophia's up to."

"Great, so I'll see you then?"

"Sure thing. Oh, and how's next week for dinner at my mom's? Maybe Thursday?"

"I should be free, I don't think I have anything going on."

"Alright, I'll call you after I get off work. Say hi to Beth for me."

"I will. Bye, sweetheart."

"Bye, babe." I was still smiling when I hung up the phone, even though I was totally confused. This was the first time I had heard from Melody in days, she had abruptly cancelled our plans for Saturday, what was going on? On the other hand, my mood had considerably brightened upon hearing from her, the smile still on my face as I strolled back into the Brain Lab.

"Everything alright, Gareth?" Rick asked.

I nodded. "Yep, it's great, and I've got some ideas, too. Ok, would the whole beauty and the geek shtick be too cliché?" There was suddenly this huge surge of creative energy in me, ideas swirling through my head as I opened a marker with my teeth and started writing on the whiteboard.

"No, I don't think so." Pete replied.

"We'll use Shane's idea, but with a twist. It'll be a V.I.P. area at a hot spot nightclub, full of very attractive yet very bored super models in scantily clad outfits that also have laser vision. Let's face it, sex sells, but we're going to be tasteful, not tacky. All these buff tools are hitting on them, but they aren't interested and can see that they don't have condoms on them. Suddenly, three Average Joes manage to make their way in, consisting of a heavy set guy, a thin nerd, and maybe an amputee-"

"Wait a second, why an amputee?" Oscar asked, to which I turned around.

"Hey, they gotta get love, too. I remember reading an article a while ago about a polygamist with one eye, enough said. Mitch, do you think we'd get heat for it?"

He shook his head. "I don't think so. There's a Swiffer commercial that has a dad with one arm in it, so it should be fine."

"Perfect." I continued writing down the rest of the idea as I spoke. "Anyways, the models are instantly attracted to them after seeing that they have Trojans in their pockets. It could be "Trojan: Play it safe all night long." Oh, and the instrumentals of that one Christina Aguilera song would be playing through out but would lead into the chorus by the end when we show the Trojan logo. I'm trying to think of the name, it's from two years ago, my sister was just playing it around the house. Kaylee, Cynthia, do you guys know what song it is? I'm pretty sure she sang it on  _The Voice._ "

Everybody looked down at the two assistants at the end of the table, who seemed shocked that they were even acknowledged for something other than getting food or grabbing supplies. Kaylee and Cynthia kind of look like somebody you'd find waiting in line for a Def Leppard concert at The Whisky A Go-Go on a Tuesday night, but they cleaned up nicely and weren't always as stupid as their silicone implants and lip injections made them look.

"Uh, "Your Body"?" Cynthia squeaked. "I think?"

"I think it's "Let There Be Love"." Kaylee said, to which I smiled at her.

"Yes, thank you! That's it. So it will be the instrumentals to "Let There Be Love" and the chorus will come in at the end. This also gives me an idea for the Calvin Klein Obsession meeting in December. The commercial would be in black and white with splashes of color, a man chasing a woman throughout a party until they're on the beach, where they passionately embrace and kiss, "Do I Wanna Know?" by Arctic Monkeys will play all the while. I know that they used that song in the Bacardi Untamable Since 1862 commercial, but they didn't use the lyrics in the chorus, which will set ours apart. Any thoughts, guys?"

"I think it's solid. Rick, Shane, what do you think?" Paul asked.

Shane shrugged. "Fine, it'll work."

"They sound like winners to me." Rick nodded with a smile, which gave me a huge rush of pride.

"Now for Audi: What about a flash-mob of cars?"

"Huh?"

I started nodding, picturing the idea vividly in my head. "Yeah, yeah. A bunch of A8s stuck in rush hour traffic all simultaneously listening to the same song on the same radio station. They start jamming and then everybody gets out through the sunroofs and starts dancing on the hoods of their cars. It would be a flash mob to "Roar" by Katy Perry, and confetti would fall from the sky. The traffic would turn into an incredibly verdant jungle, we'll CGI some animals in there. Martin," I snapped my fingers and pointed at him. "Start writing down all the exotic animals you can think of, we'll split the list so we both sketch them. The slogan would be "The combination of Audi and Bose can make any traffic jam a party that'll roar to the jungle." Or, same scenario- traffic, open sunroofs, simultaneous listening- but this time at night with "A Sky Full of Stars" by Coldplay instead of "Roar" and we'd add in all these magnificent stars. That slogan would be "The combination of Audi and Bose will make you want to drive to the stars."

"Again, where is this coming from?" Shane asked, trying to challenge me.

"Right now it's between Katy Perry and Coldplay as to who will be the headlining performance of the Pepsi Super Bowl XLIX Halftime Show. After that nasty tweet about CBS and the NFL for pulling "Run This Town" from one of the openers, it's safe to say that Rhianna is out of the running for the slot. I bet that we could convince Audi to hold off airing this commercial until Super Bowl Sunday. If this is pulled off correctly, it could be shown past that, it could be shown throughout the year. They'll love it, and all they have to do is get the copyrights for the songs."

"It's kind of cool, good job, Gareth."

"Thanks."

"What the hell just happened?" Paul asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you got one phone call and you're freaking Don Draper." Morales said.

I cracked a laughing smile, choosing to remain discreet with my next statement. "Well, I guess you can say my muse worked her magic."

Shane snorted. "Yeah, that's one phrase for getting pussy that I've heard before." He and Martin burst into laughter, as did Pete and Ross. "Make sure to lick her right, Mandel." How Shane had the gall to make such a rude comment was beyond me, but I was not going to let him get away with it, especially when he was ignorant to who was on the other line. Melody might not be my official girlfriend  _yet_ , but we are currently dating, so it's up to me to defend her honor. I really wanted to sock him in the face, but I resorted to slamming my palm flat on the table, which brought the laughter to a halt as all eyes were on me. I raised an eyebrow at Shane, a somewhat sarcastic look on my face, before I began to speak.

"Shane, get your head out of your ass once and for all, before I shove it up there permanently. Have some respect, there are ladies present." I nodded over at the girls, who looked a little embarrassed. "Don't you realize what an incredible transition this company has made in a year, from solely printing and graphic design to being an accomplished advertising agency as well when it didn't even start out as one? We didn't get that way by talking about which chick had the biggest boobs or the tightest ass or who we were getting lucky with that night. No, we did it through dedication, perseverance, and drive. We've been on a Midas streak, and I'll be damned if that stops now after all the work that's been done to increase our recognition and put us on the map for clients. I won't let it happen, and I only see Woodbury growing from here on in.

There's eleven global TOP sponsors, better known as The Olympic Partners, that pay large sums to the International Olympic Committee to use the Olympic brand during the Winter and Summer games every four years. I want us to have six of those before the 2016 Summer games in Rio. I want commercials in every category for every GATE award show. Grammys, Academy Awards, Tonys, and Emmys. I want our ads on billboards in Time Square and Hollywood Boulevard, and I want them to be so incredible that they literally stop people in their tracks just so they can get a better look. We've come this far already, why settle for "superb" and "well done" when we can be "extraordinary" and "outstanding"? Am I the only one who sees it like this, or are you all with me?"

There was silence throughout the room, and I started to worry that perhaps I had overstepped my boundaries, that I was most likely going to be fired. It may have been on pure impulse, but in that moment, it felt necessary. To my surprise, and relief, Rick spoke up.

"Gareth is right, again. As the boss, I stand by his side and agree with his word. We can always do bigger and better, and these ideas will help us. Remember, team work is key in business development. Let's show 'em what Woodbury is made of!"

The whole room started clapping and hollering, which made me smile, as Rick shot me a wink and Shane seemed flabbergasted. This was definitely what accomplishment and success felt like, and to have the head of the company standing by my side? It just further validated the feelings.

**_AN HOUR LATER_ **

**_RICK_ **

"Rick, we need 'ta talk." I had no idea that Shane had followed me into my office until he violently slammed the door.

"What about, Shane? Should we talk about your inappropriate comments or your rude behavior?" I folded my arms across my chest, glaring at him, to which he scoffed. Being friends with him for nearly thirty years, I knew his moods better than anybody at the office, and right now he was seething mad.

"Fuck that shit. You're gonna let that little puissant shit speak to me like that? I'm your partner, man!"

It was so typical of Shane to never take the blame for anything, and I think he was just intimidated by Gareth because he was younger and obviously more creative. "First off, that little puissant shit, with our help, has turned this company around, which we owe him for. He didn't have the business handed to him like you and I did, he had to work his way up to the top on his own, without any help from anybody. We can all learn something from the younger generation, so take a page from his book instead of talking down to him."

While Gareth's speech may have been a bit aggressive, it was necessary. For the past few months, Shane had undergone a total mood shift and was always pissed about something, so he needed to be knocked down a peg or two. Since Gareth started dating Melody, I've noticed that he's had some of his best ideas so far, and he was even more upbeat than usual. Unfortunately, I had overheard Melody telling Lori about what happened at the park, but I also knew that she hadn't seen him in almost a week. All of this made me think back to that night, that kiss, and it killed me to think that I could be possibly be jealous. I had no reason or no right to be, I had to get it under control. Maybe I was jealous because he was younger, but I had had great times at his age, and I had a great life now. I think I'm just stressed with the workload, a vacation would be nice right about now.

"What the hell does he know? Com'on, Rick, I'm your brother! This is bull shit, plain and simple."

"He knows how to keep his damn mouth shut, for starters. What's going on with you, man? You've been acting different lately." Even though I was annoyed with him now, I was also concerned. After all, Shane is my oldest friend, and I do want what's best for him.

He shook his head, clearly ticked off. "Nothing, man. Whatever, do what you want. It's fine." Shane walked off, and I couldn't help but wonder what the hell had happened that he had flipped such a switch.

**_Saturday Night, 7:00 PM_ **

**_GARETH_ **

"Tell me again why you dragged me to this?"

"I told you why. Melody has a nephew your age and she thought you two would hit it off."

My sister Sophia folded her arms across her chest and huffed. "I'm missing Summer Lintz' party for this?!"

"Oh, come on. Don't be such a downer. Carl is a cool kid, you'll like him. Besides, The Moms said you had to go, they don't want you going to a high school house party with no parents, and neither do I."

"Whatever, but I'm  _not_ going to have fun." Sophia was usually very sweet and quiet, but lately she had been on what my brother called a "bitch trip". I blame puberty, but I also empathized with her. High school is one of the most confusing, awkward, and troubling times an individual can go through, you're being transformed from the person you were to the person you'll be in adulthood. Not just mentally, but physically as well.

At 5'8, Sophia was only an inch shorter than Alex, as well as being a little gangly, which she took drastic measures to get under control, improving her posture and practicing her walk since she wanted to get into modeling. In general, Sophia was keeping herself busy with the equestrian club, art club, and student government, as well as recently making the cheerleading squad. Hopefully, she would take my advice and also focus on her grades instead of boys and parties and shopping.

"Put a sock in it, Sof. Aren't you the least bit curious about Gareth's new girlfriend?" Alex asked from the front seat. Upon Melody's request, I was bringing Sophia, along with Alex and my best friend Al.

"I know I am." Albert added.

Albert Papac was the first friend I made when I moved to L.A., he helped me find the houses for my family and the one Theresa and I moved into when we got engaged. Al was a yuppie like myself, a successful realtor at Sotheby's who was in the five percentile of top sellers for L.A., we also shared a love for the Indiana Jones movie series and C*SPAN. He had tried to fix me up after I called things off with Theresa, but I wasn't interested. I hoped he wouldn't try to hit on Melody. Albert had a pretty big ego because of his success and since he appeared on  _Million Dollar Listing_ , he thinks that he can get any chick he wants. Needless to say, him and Martin get along pretty well. Out of respect for Melody, I did not invite Martin with us tonight. When things got more serious, I was going to have to sit him down for a chat about his antics towards her.

"You guys, stop. She's not my girlfriend."

"Gare Bear, you've been going out with her every single night since school started!" Sophia piped up, which made Alex and Albert laugh as I rolled my eyes.

"I told you  _never_ to call me Gare Bear, and it hasn't been every night, it just seems like it. We haven't discussed making things official yet, but God, do I want to. You only come across a girl like Melody once in a solar eclipse."

"Hmm, you're right. It's not Facebook official, so it doesn't count."

"There's more to life than Facebook, Sophia."

"Whatever." She resumed her texting as Albert spoke up next.

"I just don't get how you can be with her this long when you haven't even told her about-"

"We're here." I parked in front of Rick's house, taking the key out of the ignition as I started pointing at everybody. "Albert, don't make an ass out of yourself by hitting on all the chicks, especially the lesbians. Not only will they kick your ass, they'll cut it off and hand it to you. Sophia, don't be rude and texting on your phone all night. Alex, don't talk like you're from the South. Got it?" I loved the three of them, but they all had traits that made them socially awkward.

"You got it, dude." Alex said.

"Alright." We all got out of the car and walked up the curved steps to the front door. As I rang the bell, my mind began to wander. Melody was the first girl that I was introducing to my family since Theresa, and now she wasn't even meeting them all at once. What would Alex and Sophia think of her, and what would she think of them?

I was a little surprised to see Glenn opening the door. "Hey, buddy! Glad you could make it!" He pulled me in for a pound hug as we walked in, which I reciprocated, and I noticed he was a little drunk. We had been texting a lot since we met and became fast friends, although I'm going to have to teach him a thing or two about racquet-ball. I liked Glenn because he was laid back, smart, and a great listener, I felt like we were able to talk about pretty much anything.

"What's up, man? Where's Melody?" I looked around, noticing that the house was a little packed for a movie night. "Fancy" by Iggy Azalea featuring Charli XCX was blaring from Pandora on the Smart TV in the family room, where Maggie and Sasha were behind the bar mixing drinks as Alisha and Stefon were on top of the bar dancing while Tara, Noah, and Beth watched from the couch. "It's a little crazy in here, don't you think?"

"Kind of, we're just goofing off until everybody else gets here. We're waiting on Daryl and Rosita. Melody is in the kitchen ordering the pizzas."

"Cool, I'll go get her. Glenn, this is my brother Alex, my sister Sophia, and my best friend Albert."

"Nice to meet you all! You guys want a drink?" Glenn asked as he took a swig of his Coors Light Summer Brew.

"Yeah, sure." Alex replied as they all followed him into the family room while I made my way into the kitchen. Melody had her back to me, perched up on the counter top by the stove and refrigerator as she talked on the phone, wearing a turquoise blue terry cloth Juicy Couture outfit. Even though I couldn't see the front of her, I already knew she looked absolutely adorable and sexy, she always did. With a smile, I decided to surprise her.

"Alright, I'll see you in forty five minutes. Thanks so much, bye bye."

I stood behind Melody and covered her eyes as she hung up the phone. "Guess who?" On impulse, I leaned in and nibbled her earlobe as I could feel her face break out into a smile and she started giggling.

"Well, I don't know many people that want to nibble my earlobe, so I'm going to guess it's Seth McFarlane?"

"Seth McFarlane? Really?" I laughingly asked.

She nodded. "Yep, I think he's sexy… but not as sexy as I think you are, Gareth." Melody swiveled around, smile still intact as she took my hands off her eyes and intertwined our fingers, her legs dangling over the countertop. "Hey, Hot Lips."

"Hey yourself, Honey Pie." I noticed that the familiar pink tint was in her cheeks again, which I found undeniably cute, and seeing her smile made my heart beat go faster. "I missed you, Melody."

"I missed you, too." Melody leaned forward, both of us smiling. "Did you just get here?"

"Mmhmm. Me, Alex, Sophia, and my best friend Albert."

"I can't wait to meet them. You look good, Gareth. Really good."

"So do you."

We spent a minute just kind of staring, our foreheads pressed together and our lips only inches apart.

"Alright, which one of us is going to do this first?"

I laughed. "I don't know, I figured you would, seems like you like to be in control."

"Apparently so, my therapist said the exact same thing. What he doesn't know is that I also like to be dominated, too. I consider myself an even split."

"Well, that's interesting. I'll definitely make a note-."

She cut me off, twisting the front of my shirt in her hand as she pressed her lips firmly against mine, her free hand on the back of my neck. Her coconut lotion and cupcake flavored chapstick enticed my senses, leaving me absolutely intoxicated for this beautiful creature. I brought Melody to the edge, my hands gripping her thighs as I laid her down on the countertop, she wrapped her legs tightly around my waist and her arms around my neck to pull me in closer.

I've never made out with anybody leaned over/on a countertop, but there's a first for everything. I couldn't help myself as my hands traveled up from her thighs to her breasts and began to fondle them, both of us moaning with my arousal pressed up against her as she lightly grabbed fistfuls of my hair. Melody nibbled on my lip, which she knew turned me on like no other, my thumbs began rolling in circles on either side of her pelvis, which I could feel was getting her turned on as well. What I would give to send everybody home, carry Melody up the stairs, lock the bedroom door, and make love to her all night long. My desires were burning up, but I wasn't going to coerce her and demand sex now for my own needs. When it finally happens, I want it to be gratifying for both of us.

"Save some for me, dude."

We looked over to see Albert smirking at us. Melody gasped, shooting up in a panic so quickly that she fell off the counter. Luckily, I was able to catch her in time, but not all the way, her legs were between one arm and her back was leaning on the other arm, as I heard Albert snickering. The front of her pants clung to my arm, which meant that she was turned on, and I smiled to myself.

"Are you ok, Melody?"

She nodded. "Mmhmm. It seems like you're always around whenever I need a catch."

"Ha, seems like it." I grinned, setting her down. "Melody, this is Albert Papac."

"Hi, nice to meet you." Melody brushed herself off and walked over, giving Albert a hug.

"The pleasure is all mine, Melody, just call me Al." He stared at me with a smirk as he returned the hug, wriggling his eyebrows, to which I gave him a slightly menacing look as a warning to back off, which he did. "Maggie sent me to get ice."

Melody nodded behind her. "It's in the freezer, second door. Glad you could make it." She turned around and walked over, grabbing my hand with a big smile on her face as she led us out of the kitchen. "Come on, Gareth. I want to meet Alex and Sophia. See you inside, Al."

I glanced over my shoulder with a bemused smirk at Albert, and I knew he was feeling defeated that Melody didn't fall for his charm. Then again, most women don't.

"He seems nice." Melody said as we walked into the family room, to which I shrugged.

"Meh, he's cool. Kind of cocky at times, but everybody warms up to him at some point or another." I glanced over to see my siblings on the edge of the coffee table talking to Carl and his friend Patrick, whom I've met before. "Alex, Sofie." I whistled, motioning them over. When Sophia looked at Melody, she let out some sort of a gasp squeal.

"OH! EM! GEE! DELILAH DALTREY!" She ran over with a shocked look on her face. "Gare Bear, you didn't tell me you knew THE Delilah Daltrey!"

I felt my face heat up. "I told you not to call me that." I mumbled under my breath before speaking normally again. "And I don't. This isn't Delilah, this is Melody Silverstone. Melody, this is my younger brother Alex and my sister Sophia."

Melody started laughing. "It's ok, it would not be the first time that somebody thought I was her. Hi and welcome, it's so nice to meet you both!" She hugged them both.

"We've heard a lot about you, Melody." Alex said.

"Oh? All good, I hope." Melody elbowed me and smiled.

"Of course. Why wouldn't they be?"

"Tell me something, if a light sleeper sleeps with a light on, does a hard sleeper sleep with a hard on?"

We all looked over to see who was obviously Daryl and Rosita walk into the room with Glenn behind them. They both looked pretty much the same as they did on TV, but I noticed Melody immediately lit up when she saw them.

"No, cuz it's "Dick's on with the light on"! Hiii!" She walked over to greet them, and Alex shot me a look.

"Dude, is that who I think it is?"

"Yep."

"He's got his hands on your woman! Look!"

I knew he was right, and I felt a twinge of jealousy at how Daryl hugged her. This wasn't a normal hug, his hands were literally just above her ass as he picked her up, making her laugh before turning her around on his back and making his way over to me.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the famous Garrett." He looked at me with something of a smirk, but I wasn't intimidated.

"It's Gareth, actually, and you must be Daryl. Great job in that Darren Aranofsky movie." I stuck my hand out, figuring that killing him with kindness would be the safest bet, because I really was starting to get paranoid that something was going on between the two of them. Melody wouldn't do that to me, right?

"Sure am. Hope you're being good to my sweet bottom." He set Melody down and smacked her on the butt, and that was when my frustration really went through the roof.

"Dar-yl! Quit kidding around."

"Hi, I'm Rosita, but you can call me "Senorita Caliente"." She stepped forward, flipping her hair back and sticking her chest out before giving me a hug with her boobs up against me.

"Uh, hi." Martin thought she was hot, he even had her as his screensaver on his computer at work, but I was starting to feel uncomfortable. Rosita pulled back and smiled.

"My, my, Melody. He sure is cute. I might have to steal him for myself, or we can share. Would you like that, Gareth? Being shared?" She licked her lips seductively. I understand the appeal with threesomes and why they're so popular, but they aren't for me. I'd end up thinking of my moms, and they are the last thing I want to be thinking about when I'm with a woman in bed.

"I'm actually a one woman kind of man, sorry to disappoint."

"Rosita, cool it, girlfriend. Not everybody knows when you're joking, or you, Daryl." Melody stuck her tongue out as she took me by the hand and dragged me away from Rosita, which made me feel a little less anxious.

"Who says I was joking? You're both super sexy, I can't help but be turned on. Think about it, Gareth." Rosita winked at me before her and Daryl walked away.

"She's interesting."

"Ha, yeah, that's one word for her. Listen, can I talk to you in private for a moment?" Melody looked up and gripped my hand, those gorgeous eyes penetrating my soul.

I nodded. "Yes, no problem. There's some stuff I want to talk to you about as well."

"Alright, cool. Hey, Noah? Can you start the movie?"

"Sure, which one?  _American Hustle_  or  _The Wolf of Wall Street_?"

"I thought we were watching  _Dallas Buyers Club_?" Beth asked.

"I was joking about that. The night is young, let's do both! Start off with  _The Wolf of Wall Street_."

"Coolio, you got it."

"We'll be right back." Melody led me out of the room and towards the stairs.

"Someone's about to get it on! Woo- EE!"

"Save some for me, Mamacita!"

"Get in line, I already called dibs on that hot ass!"

"Oh, put a sock in it, you guys!" Melody flipped everybody off, to which they laughed, as I followed her up the stairs. At this point, I really had no idea what we had to talk about, which meant that I didn't know if it was a good thing or a bad thing.

**_Reviews are encouraged! Please read and follow and spread the word! NO FLAMES! HAPPY NEW YEAR! :)_ **


	12. Show The Cards

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following a couple deep confessions, Gareth and Melody share an intimate moment that is unintentionally disrupted by Beth. Gareth begins to feel very protective over Melody and politely approaches Daryl about his earlier behavior. Garody's blossoming love is becoming known to everybody, with Albert, Alex, and Sophia giving Gareth the nod of approval about Melody.

**Hi everybody! Today is the one year anniversary of _Forever Rising Phoenix!_ I can't believe it's been a whole year, it feels like yesterday I was coming up with the idea, and for  _Stubborn Love_  as well! Sorry if it seemed like this chapter dragged on, I just wanted to capture the moment the best I could. Dave was the one in the bar in the episode "Nebraska" from Season 2.**

**_WARNING: STRONG SEXUAL CONTENT!_ **

**_Chapter Twelve: Show The Cards_ **

"Are you ok?" Melody asked as she closed the door to her room.

"Huh? Yes, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" I grabbed her yin and yang Chinese healing balls off the dresser and started rolling them around. Whenever I had something on my mind, I would get fidgety and at times had to have something to set my focus at ease in order to approach it head on. This instance was one of those times. How was I going to tell the girl I've fallen for that I don't like how she was just man handled right in front of me?

"Is something wrong? You seem kind of tense and disoriented." She put her hands on my face, looking up at me with concern in her eyes. "You can tell me. Did I do something?"

I heavily sighed, feeling bad that my change in demeanor was so obvious and that she felt like it was her fault. It wasn't intentional, but my emotions were bubbling to the surface, I couldn't help but blurt out what was on my mind.

"Is there something going on with you and Daryl?"

Melody scrunched up her eyebrows in confusion and stepped back. "What? No! Did you seriously just ask me that?"

I turned around, looking at all the pictures throughout the years that she had in her room. There were some with her family, Lori holding Melody as a baby, the two of them at Disneyland with their mom when Melody was six, Lori was eighteen, and Rick was twenty, a lot with her and Lori, the two of them with Charlotte, Melody and Carl making silly faces, and the picture that Rick had in his office. A lot were with her friends, Melody and Beth covered head to toe in multiple colors of paint, with Tara at one of the high school pep rallies decked out in their class colors and eye black war paint, a rave with Maggie, Stefon, and Sasha, but there were two pictures in particular that caught my eye.

The first one was of her and Aiden at a party their senior year, I recognized it as her profile picture from Facebook. He was smirking and she must have been talking, because her mouth was slightly open, and they both had an arm wrapped around each other. They both looked like they were having fun and Melody was happy.

The second was a strip of four pictures that Melody and I had taken in an old school photo booth at the pier the night of our first date, with us kissing in the last one. I felt my heart smile that she had the strip amongst the people that mattered in her life. Maybe there was something in the cards for us after all, but I had to speak my mind, too.

"How could you ask me that? Do you not trust me, Gareth?"

"Of course I do." I turned around, but I still couldn't look at her. "You know how much I like you, Melody. I like you a lot and care about you deeply. What I'm about to say is meant to be sincere and not come off as controlling. I didn't pay much attention to Albert because that's how he always is with chicks."

"I think your friend Albert thinks he's Barney Stinson or something."

We both got a chuckle out of her comparison, it was definitely a tiny relief I needed at the moment. "You're spot on with that. Anyways, it wasn't him. It was the way that Daryl greeted you kind of irked me, and I… Well, I…" I ran a hand through my hair, trying to figure out how to word this delicately and not come off looking like either a complete nutcase or a first class tool.

"Yes? What is it? I'm listening." I could hear the concern in her voice so clearly. WHY was I having a hard time spitting the words out? I never get this tongue-tied.

"I didn't like it, ok?" I gazed into her eyes and she jumped a little at the assertive tone of my voice, which made me take a step back. "Sorry, I didn't mean to get so excited. I'm trying to say that I didn't like it because it wasn't me. Granted, I wouldn't be grabbing you like that in public, but I don't want him to do it. I kind of want to be the only one that gets to touch you like that."

"Are you saying-"

"Uh huh." I nodded, all of a sudden feeling like an awkward teenage boy who just told the most popular girl in school that he wanted her. Maybe in my attempt to be honest, I had been way too forward, she was probably scared off for good now. I should have known better. Why do dating and relationships and love have to be so complicated? Melody walked forward, taking the Chinese healing balls and putting them back on the dresser before holding my hand. When I finally looked in her eyes again, I noticed instead of seeming creeped out, she was smiling sweetly.

**_MELODY_ **

Although I wouldn't dare admit this, I was actually touched by Gareth's declaration. He wasn't afraid to admit how he really felt, which seemed to be kind of jealous and annoyed yet protective. My mom always told me a little bit of jealousy was good, because it showed that the person cared about you enough to reach that extent of emotion.

"Gareth, honey. You have nothing to worry about. Do you really think I'd be dating somebody else when I was with you? No way in hell!"

"Yeah, but what about Daryl?"

"What about him? They were clowning around earlier. Honestly, I think they were trying to test you or something, I have no idea. Rosita is always like that, both of them are, actually. It's kind of what happens when you work in the porn business, you think everybody wants to sleep with you. I love them both to death, but I wouldn't sleep with either one of them, ever. The only person I want in me is you." I looked at him to see a raised eyebrow and an amused smirk on his face, and felt my eyes widen when I realized what I said.

**_Fucking idiot!_ **

Without thinking, I slapped my palm to my forehead and instantly regretted it. "Ow... Not a smart move, Melody. Not a smart move at all." I walked over and sat down on my bed, propping my knees up and burying my head in them, too uncomfortable to look at him. "I swear, it's like sometimes I let whatever is in my head fly straight out of my mouth without any thought what so ever."

The next thing I felt was Gareth sitting down on the bed and lifting my chin up. "You don't have anything to be embarrassed about."

"Yes, I do. Like the other night at the park. The reason why I cancelled our plans and have been kind of distant is exactly that. I was embarrassed because I came on way too strong and I was worried that you'd think I was really slutty or something. Plus, I don't normally swallow. Except then there's a part of me saying I shouldn't be embarrassed, because I like you and I was showing it." I heavily sighed, fully lying down on the bed. "I'm an idiot."

"No, you're not." Gareth laid down next to me, his hand cupping my cheek. "You're incredible, Melody, and I didn't think you were coming on too strong or being slutty. Sorry that I didn't give you any warning, it had been a while and you were so good that I was just as surprised as you when it happened. Regardless, I liked it a lot, actually, because you were showing me more of who you really are, and you shouldn't be afraid of that. I want to know all there is to know about you, Melody." He smiled as his fingers began making zigzag patterns down my body, stopping at my lower stomach. "Is this your tattoo?"

I nodded. "Mmhmm. One of them, anyway. I have two. Go ahead, take a look."

Gareth pushed up my tank top to the bottom band of my jacket and pulled the top of my pants down to right above my pelvis, where the two tiny tattoos were. Even though it was pretty dark in my room, I was praying that he wouldn't see the unfortunate stretch marks from my weight gain. Luckily, today had been a day where they were hardly visible, but I was still self-conscious.

"I got this one first, Lori and I have the same one." I pointed to the purple and blue butterfly on the left side of my stomach. "We've both always had a thing for butterflies, as well as being a bit rebellious. Even though it's against our religion, we wanted something that symbolized our bond of sisterhood. It didn't hurt that badly, but when we were done I told her that it would look stupid to only have a tattoo on one side of our stomach, so we got another one." I then pointed at the second tattoo on the right side of my stomach, which was two eight music notes with the tails intertwined, making an "M" in black with a pink outline. "Something simple, so I got this and she got a cursive "L"."

He started making invisible lines on my stomach with his finger, which left me feeling tingly all over. "They're cute, I like them. Do you want to get anymore?"

"No. What about you? Any other tattoos besides the one or any piercings?"

"Actually, I've been meaning to tell you about how I have the tip of my tongue pierced. I wear it on weekends, never at the office, but I haven't put it back in because I didn't know if you'd be comfortable with it or not."

I've always had a thing for bad boys, it's probably why I've ended up with such idiots, but Gareth had a few bad boy elements, with the tattoo and now the piercing. He keeps getting sexier as the days go by. "Really? On the contrary, I think it's kind of hot, I've always been curious to know what it felt like to kiss somebody with a tongue piercing. Wear it next time?"

"Sure thing." Gareth looked up at me, smiling with his eyes before narrowing them as his hand boldly slipped down the front of my pants, and I saw the slightest smirk when he discovered I wasn't wearing any panties. "You like to go commando, huh?"

I nodded, knowing my face was heating up as I suddenly felt very timid and a little vulnerable. "Uh huh." There was no way I'd be telling him the real reason why I was going commando was due to being self conscious of how my underwear would make bulges appear. "Gareth, I-"

He silenced me with a kiss as his hand went even lower and his fingers teased me. "Mmm, Melody, you're so wet. I knew it from earlier." Gareth growled into my ear before nipping my earlobe and neck.

"But-"

"Now it's my turn to satisfy and take care of you, just like you did for me. I want to be the first one to make you experience a real orgasm." The tone of his voice was husky as his long fingers stroked my lower lips before completely entering, which made me gasp and grab onto his shoulders, I could feel my stomach begin to coil as I took enjoyment in this feeling. "And so tight."

We should stop, I knew that much. There's a full house of people downstairs watching Leonardo DiCaprio snort blow off of a hooker's ass, but I lost myself in the dance of his fingers inside me, moving in a smooth and rhythmic pattern. While I knew we should stop, I didn't want him to. I felt so small and un-experienced in Gareth's arms, but I wanted him to make me feel what others had failed at achieving. So I let him continue, wrapping my hands around the back of his neck and kissing him to qualm my nerves. After a few minutes, Gareth pulled away, gazing down on me with a darkened look in his eyes.

"Melody, do you have any idea what you do to me or how much you turn me on?"

I shook my head. "N-no." My response only made him go deeper and more swiftly. He must have been able to tell I was being so reserved, so he kissed me before leaning into my ear, continuing to probe inside with his proficient fingers.

"I want to take off all your clothes and kiss every square inch of your sexy body, to taste and suckle your sweet honey and beautiful breasts, to caress your velvety skin." His free hand hastily unzipped my jacket and alternated between breasts, groping and pinching, before pulling me against him, his hardened groin firmly poking into my backside. "After that, I'm going to make love to you like a real man should, sweet and tender. The guys you were with before didn't know what the hell they were doing, but I do. I'm going to be the one to bring you to the stars, Melody, to awaken the passion within. You turn me on very much, and when you decide that you're ready, it'll be unforgettable. I want to fuck you so badly."

Normally, this kind of talk would have left me very upset. From Gareth, it was turning me on. It was ok to say those kinds and get excited hearing them, it depends on the person. Besides, no man has ever said they wanted to make love to me, it was either "I wanna fuck the shit out of your pussy." Or "I want to bang you senseless.". Maybe Gareth was a romantic or he had the utmost respect for me. I wasn't offended when he said he wanted to fuck me, either, because right now, I'm feeling the exact same way.

I grabbed him by the face until he was on top and kissed him fervently, which he reciprocated as the speed of his fingers increased. Gareth was putting my needs before his, making me feel how a real woman should, I wasn't feeling like some dirty whore like Shane or a cum bucket like Randall. My whole body was tensing up and my thoughts were fogged by lust, drowning out the sounds of anything that wasn't in the bedroom, my hands moving from grabbing his hair to twisting the back of his shirt as my legs started moving around the bed before crossing them, trapping Gareth's hand inside my pants.

"I think-"

"That's it, you're almost there, I can feel it. Come for me, baby. You can do it, I know you want to." We kissed again as I moaned into his mouth, panting against his lips, holding onto to his shoulders because I felt like I would float away if I didn't. A new kind of electricity surged throughout my entire body, begging for liberation into nirvana. I knew that this was what an authentic orgasm is supposed to feel like, and I was so ready for it.

"Mmm, Gareth-"

"Melody?"

**_"BETH?!"_ **

A knocking at the door disrupted us and my pupils dilated as Gareth's movements came to an unfortunate halt.

"What is it, w-what happened?" I panted out, trying my best to sound normal but knowing Beth was probably aware of the event she had overheard from the other side of the door.

"Tony's Pizza just arrived and the delivery boy needs to be paid. Glenn put the pizzas in the kitchen, everybody is digging in."

"Fuck." With the erotic moment that Gareth and I had been sharing, I completely lost track of the time and forgot about that I had ordered pizzas. How could I remember anything at all when the only thing on my mind at that moment consisted of ripping my boyfriend's clothes off? Wait,  _is_  he even my boyfriend yet? "Uh, tell him I'll be right there."

"Ok."

I looked up at Gareth, we were both visibly disappointed. "Jeez, that was close. Too bad it ended so soon. I'm sorry."

He exhaled heavily. "So am I. You were so close, I was getting really turned on watching you and knowing that I was the one bringing you to that kind of high."

I blushed, a combination of being hot and bothered and from still feeling a little embarrassed. "T-thanks. We really don't have any luck when it comes to this, do we?"

"Ha, no, apparently we don't. It's only been the second time, it won't always be like this, I promise."

"Let's hope so."

We sat up, fixing our hair and clothes, even though I'm sure everybody else would be able to tell that we had messed around.

"I actually ordered some lambskin condoms the other day for when you're ready." Gareth got off the bed, standing in front of me as he fixed his hair.

"You did?" I asked as I sat on my knees, zipping my jacket up, feeling so touched that even after what had transpired, he still wasn't pressuring me to sleep with him.

"Yes, I did."

"Did you mean what you said, you know, during…" I looked away, instantly regretting the words that came out of my mouth, knowing I sounded like some desperate chick.

Gareth put his hand on my face, stroking my cheek with his thumb. "Every single word, Melody."

I'm not sure if it was his honesty, his kindness, or his allure, but in that moment my feelings for Gareth were stronger than they had been this whole month. I leaned in, putting my hands on Gareth's face and giving him an incredibly amorous kiss, letting it linger just a little bit. My forehead rested against his as our lip lock ended and we simultaneously smiled at each other.

"I'm glad you meant it, because I wouldn't want to experience it with anybody else other than you." With a flirtatious wink, I twirled off the bed and walked off, purposely sashaying like the world was my own little runway. Being with Gareth always left me on top of the world, my happiness levels were higher than could be counted for, and every little thing further solidified the love that was blossoming.

What scared me was that if I didn't get it together, I may lose him. Even though my feelings were so strong, I was still waiting for something about him to come to the light. Why can't I convince myself that I deserved a good guy, like Beth said? When I glanced over my shoulder, I saw Gareth was fixated on my ass. "Come on, sexy boy. Everybody's waiting on us."

**_GARETH_ **

"Alright, I'm coming." I walked over and grabbed Melody's hand as we proceeded out of her room. Even though our mini tryst was unfortunately interrupted, I was still glad it happened. The more time we spent together, the more in love I fell. Most people would say that it was too soon, that it's only been nine months since Theresa and I split up after seven years, that I needed time. To me, it didn't matter whether it's only been almost two months or if it's been two decades, I know how I feel and I have a good instinct on how Melody was feeling, too. Yes, I might be anxious to take it further, except it was important that we were both on the same page, and I'm going to ride it out for however long it takes, but I couldn't wait until she was officially my girl.

"By the way, I came up with the perfect costume for you for the Monster Mash Bash." Melody said as we turned the hall to the second floor staircase.

"Oh, yeah? Lay it on me."

"Ok, it's kind of stupid and maybe overdone, but I was thinking Tom Cruise from  _Risky Business_ , the "Old Time Rock n' Roll" outfit. All you need is a pink button up shirt, white socks, a pair of black Ray Bans, and white briefs. You've already got the hair, and you wouldn't be expected to do the dance. What do you think?"

The smile that she always put on my face broadened, for this girl was too cute. "That movie is one of my favorites. I think your idea is perfect and I love it." One day, I'd actually be able to end a sentence with "I love you". "What's your costume going to be?"

"I'm in between a couple, Rosita has costumes from Forplay on loan for me. Why don't I take some selfies and send them to you so you can tell me what you think?"

"You wanna send me your sexy selfies? What would Daryl say?" I smirked, to which she rolled her eyes and lightly slapped my arm.

"Shuty uppy, he wishes I'd send him my selfies, he just won't admit it." We walked down the first floor staircase, seeing the pizza boy standing by the door. "Hi! Sorry about that, I completely lost track of the time."

"Oh, don't worry. I had no problem waiting." He smiled, immediately checking out Melody's chest. This guy must have been in his late twenties or early thirties and a couple inches shorter than me, with naturally spiked brown hair, a Bart Simpson looking face, and a name tag reading  _Dave._  "Six pizzas, that'll be $50.75."

"Alright." Melody reached into her pocket, but I was quicker with pulling out my wallet.

"Here, let me get it."

"What? Gareth, no. I couldn't let you do that."

I shook my head. "No, it's fine. I've got it, babe. Go be with your friends and I'll take care of this. Besides, I'm the reason why we weren't down here sooner." Melody blushed at my sly wink, and I knew she was thinking about what happened in her bedroom.

"Melody, this movie is insane! Like oh my Gianni Versace!" Stefon shouted from the family room.

"Titties, titties, full frontal titties!" Tara exclaimed.

"I know, right? Leo totally should have won the Oscar!" Melody looked up at me. "Alright, fine, if you insist. I owe you one though."

"You don't owe me anything. It's my pleasure."

"Well, thank you, sugar pie honeybunch." She leaned up and gave me a kiss on the cheek before sauntering off. I turned around to see Dave staring at her ass.

"$50.75 you said?"

He shook his head out of the trance. "Huh? Yeah, $50.75. Damn, buddy! Your woman's got a nice little body on her. Those curves! I'd never let her go if I were you."

I glared him down, how could a total stranger make a comment like that, in mixed company nonetheless? I swear, etiquette seemed to be out of the window thanks to society's embrace of brutal honesty. "Keep the change." I handed him the bill before opening the door and motioned him out with my hand. "Have a good night."

Dave turned around, staring at me with a shit eating grin as I closed the door. "Dude, this is a $100 bill! Thanks!"

"Yeah, take care."

I heavily sighed as I walked back into the family room and sat down next to Melody on the couch. What made this situation different is that she didn't realize what an effect she had on the male sex. Maybe it was because of the way she walks or how sometimes her voice is sugary sweet or her overall bubbly personality when she first meets somebody, but they were drawn to her. I assumed that she was oblivious or just chose to ignore it, but what concerned me is that I think Melody sees a different version of herself than what the rest of the world sees, which was a truly striking girl. She looked over with a smile as she snuggled up to me.

"How are you doing, you're good?"

I returned the smile as I wrapped my arm around her waist. "I'm great. How are you?" All it took was one smile and I was sure that no other guy stood a chance, that the only one she had eyes for was me.

"I'm fantastic." Melody gave me a kiss on the cheek as she rested her head on my shoulder and wrapped her arms around me while we watched the suaveness of Leonardo Dicaprio.

**_TWO AND A HALF HOURS LATER_ **

"That was a freaking crazy intense rollercoaster of sex, drugs, money, and the high life!" Glenn said the credits rolled.

"Hey, hey, hey. With the exception of the scamming part, that pretty much  _is_  my life." Daryl boasted with a smirk. "But I'm not as crazy. "

"I'd tap that Margo Robbie from here to New Zealand." Albert joined in.

"Ok, enough about the chicks. It was an awesome movie and Leo should have won, but like I've said, I'm sure it was neck in neck between him and Matthew Mcconaughey for Best Actor and Jonah Hill and Jared Leto for Best Supporting. It was a tough category, but Matthew and Jared sacrificed more physically. Now, it's time for another movie that got robbed at this year's Oscars:  _American Hustle_!" Melody clapped excitedly as she switched the DVDS.

"Don't do anything yet, hun. I've gotta drown the hound." Daryl got up and walked around the couch, which I decided was the perfect time to talk to him about what happened earlier. Waiting outside the bathroom door, I figured I'd approach him with the utmost respect. We're both grown men, it should be handled in a mature manner, there's no need for things to get ugly.

Daryl opened the door, a little surprised to see me, but shrugged it off. "Hey, dude. It's all yours."

"Thanks, but I actually came here to talk to you."

"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow before leaning back against the wall and crossing his arms over his chest. "Go ahead, I'm all ears."

"Well, I was wondering if you could do me a favor?"

"Depends. Watcha' asking for?"

I was avoiding running a hand through my hair, which was a nervous habit of mine. "Well, I know that Melody and I haven't been dating for that long, but we've gotten pretty close if you get what I mean, and I'm hoping to make it official. We both know she's pretty, a real looker, which could sometimes result in unwanted attention, especially with all the creeps in that industry. No offence."

He shook his head. "None taken."

"What I'm trying to say is watch out for Melody, will ya? I won't always be around, but if a guy goes after her, just watch out if you know what I mean?"

Daryl was hesitant at first, but then started nodding with a smile. "Alright, I can do that for ya, Gareth. About earlier, I was messing around, but I get the message. You're good people, man." He extended his hand out to me, which I shook with a smile.

"Thanks, I try. So are you."

"Don't break her heart or I'll break your face."

"Ha, I wouldn't dare." We laughed as he walked off. I felt a lot better after speaking with Daryl, I think he gets the point. Things were handled in a civilized manner without getting physical, exactly how it should have been.

**_2:00 AM_ **

"We should probably be going, it's after two."

The movie had ended about an hour and a half ago, and people had left little by little until it was only me, Alex, Sophia, and Albert with Melody, Carl, and Patrick. It had been a really great night, filled with laughs and fun. My siblings had even warmed up, especially Sophia to Carl, I could tell there was a little love connection going on there.

"I completely lost track of the time!" Melody said as we got up and walked to the door. "Thanks so much for coming tonight, it was really nice meeting you."

"Yeah, it was fun. It's great to put a name to the face." Albert said as he gave Melody a hug good bye.

"Likewise, Barney Stinson."

"Huh?"

Melody started giggling into my arm. "Nothing, nothing." I could tell she was tired, she could barely keep her eyes open and sounded a little drowsy.

"Bye, Melody, I had an awesome time." Sophia said as she stepped forward.

"Bye, sweetheart." Melody gave her a huge hug, then Alex. "I loved meeting you, and you too, Alex. You really lucked out having such a fantastic brother." She looked over at me and smiled.

"Yeah, we know. Sometimes he's a gigantic pain in the ass, but we love him anyway." Alex said, which made me raise an eyebrow.

"Likewise, little brother."

"Sophia, you come back here anytime and I'll take your head shots, a whole photo shoot, free of charge. I took Maggie's and they came out beautifully." Melody smiled as she opened the door for us.

"Oh, my god, really?! That would be totally amazing! I can't wait! I'm already thinking of outfits to wear! Bye, Carl. Bye, Patrick." Sophia did a girly wave, making them blush.

"B-bye."

"See you around."

"Night, Gareth." Carl and I high fived each other as he followed Patrick up the stairs.

"Night, dudes." I turned to my siblings and Albert. "Can you give us a minute? Wait for me in the car?" I tossed Alex my keys.

"Sure thing, dude. Gotta get one last tug for the evening." He started bursting into moronic laughter, as did Melody, but I was mortified.

"Alex!" I slapped him upside the head.

"What?!"

"You  _know_  what."

"He's just saying what we're all thinking. Night, Melody." Albert walked out with Sophia and Alex as I stayed behind with Melody on the front step.

"I'm really, really glad you came here tonight. I wish we could pick up where we left off in my room though." She gazed at me with a wink and a smile, which I returned, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"Me, too, for both of those. Don't worry, one day, it'll happen."

"I know." Melody started blinking her eyes, trying to stay awake as she giggled.

"You should get some sleep, hun, you can barely keep your eyes open."

"Alright, alright, alright. Don't I at least get a kiss good night, hot stuff?" Melody flipped her hair back and started kissing my neck, wrapping her arms around my shoulders as I felt invigorated by her touch all over again.

"Of course you can." I leaned in, my arm snaking around her waist as our lips united for one last kiss of the night. She pressed herself into me further, backing us up against one of the front porch columns, she still tasted like her cupcake chapstick. My hands moved up from her waist to her cheeks, deepening the kiss as her fingers tangled in my hair, pulling me in for a halfway dip. Our tongues dancing leisurely in each other's mouths, trying to savor the kiss for as long as we possibly could, our hands moving all over for one final touch. If Melody asked me to stay the night right now, I'd tell Alex to drive off without giving it a second thought, even though I don't let anybody drive my car except me.

"Gareth, let's go!"

We were interrupted by Albert shouting from the front seat.

"Urgh, I knew I should have come without the kids." I groaned, to which Melody laughed.

"It's ok, I get what it's like. That was really nice though. Call me later?"

I nodded, stepping off the front step. "You've got it, sweetheart. Until then."

We leaned in once more, kissing each other repeatedly before elongating it. I gripped her sides when she started sucking on my lip and her hands moved to-

**_"GARE BEAR! NOW!"_ **

I turned around in frustration. "ALRIGHT!"

"I'm sorry, it's my fault."

"No, it's not. Well, maybe. You're too damn good of a kisser."

"Same for you, stud. Oh, and you know about what you said earlier?"

"Yeah…?" I raised a curious eyebrow, to which she smiled.

"What you want, I want it too, but the other way around, if you get what I mean."

"Definitely." We had said it so many words, but it was obvious that there was nobody else in the picture, and that feeling was fantastic.

"Good night… again."

"Sweet dreams." I gave her a quick peck before turning around.

"Now, get out of here." She smacked me on the butt, to which I turned around to see her smirking.

"Feisty now, are we?"

"Mmhmm. Bye, baby."

"Bye."

I watched until her smiling face disappeared behind the closed door and walked to my car. Once I was inside, I glared at everybody.

"Je-sus Christ! What the hell was wrong with you guys?!"

Albert shrugged as I started the car. "Nothing, we weren't in the mood to watch the sex show you two were trying to have."

"No, we weren't."

"Schyeah, you were. Gareth, seriously, you and Melody are all over each other to the point where I've run out of similes to describe it. White on rice, fat kid on cake, Lebron on a basketball, it's an endless list."

"Yes, I know."

"I liked her, she's chill." Alex said. "Dude, those funbags are insane! How have you not hit that already?"

Sophia slapped his arm. "Alex, shut up! Don't be such a pervert! Gareth, she's so pretty and really, really sweet! I like her, and I like what she's done for you. I honestly believe that Mom and Mommy will love Melody. She's so much better than that tramp, Theresa."

I smiled. "Trust me, I do, too. Her sister was right, everybody does fall in love with her." While I had thrown myself into work since the breakup, I had been kind of a downer. When I wasn't working or exercising, I spent most of my time sketching or playing video games, I had turned a tad bit anti social, but Melody had definitely pulled me out of my funk. All I hoped was that things wouldn't change too much when I told her the truth.

**_Reviews are encouraged! Please read and follow and spread the word! NO FLAMES! :)_ **


	13. The Things We Never Had

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gareth brings Melody home to meet the rest of his family, who immediately accept her. His two moms, Mary and Carol, hound him for holding something back from Melody. Everybody is elated over the news that their San Francisco Giants will be going to the World Series. Melody agrees to get high with Alex, despite Gareth's reluctance, but he ultimately gives in. Melody and Gareth's emotional connection continues to get deeper.

**Hi everybody! Here's a big chapter with even more _Walking Dead_ characters! Lacey is from the comics, and we all know Mary, Carol, Lizzie, and Mika! ;P**

**I wanna give a special shout out to my beta reader texasbelle91, as well as Chloe3, DarylDixon'sgirl1985, He-Who-Shall-Live, Hey01ig, Lego Kid At Heart, Prettyprincess45 (I'm so sorry I forgot to include you last time!), and SilverSun09. Please check out their stories, because they are freaking awesome!**

**_DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NOR HAVE ANY AFFILIATIONS WITH THE WALKING DEAD OR AFRICA. ALL PROPERTIES OWNED BY FRANK DARABONT AND AMC (TELEVISION SERIES), ROBERT KIRKMAN AND TONY MOORE (COMIC BOOK SERIES), AND TOTO, RESPECTIVELY. I ONLY OWN MY OWN ORIGINAL IDEAS AND CHARACTERS._ **

**_WARNING: STRONG SEXUAL CONTENT!_ **

**_Chapter Thirteen: The Things We Never Had_ **

**_Thursday, October 16th, Encino, 5:45 PM_ **

**_MELODY_ **

"Honey, you have nothing to be nervous about. They're going to love you."

"How do you know, Gareth? Meeting somebody's mother is crucial, it's like meeting your maker, and I have to meet two moms."

I sighed heavily as I looked down at the pink box in my lap that held the caramel apple cake I had made from scratch earlier that day. I like to think I have many talents, one of them is definitely cooking and baking, something that I inherited fully from my mother while Lori didn't. Well, maybe just with pancakes.

Our mom used to have a gourmet dessert catering business with her sister, our aunt Rachelle, but then they both mutually decided to retire after my aunt had my cousin and Mom had me four years later. I've tried to convince my mom to start it up again, especially when we lost our money, except by then she was too depressed and now she has a job, but maybe one day it could even be a fall back career for me. My parents always taught me that it's good manners to bring something when you've been invited to somebody's home for dinner, and I always make sure my manners are impeccable.

Gareth must have been able to sense that I was nervous, I had a lot on my mind. Not only meeting the rest of his family, but tonight was the final game of the National League Championship Series, with the winner playing against the Kansas City Royals in the World Series. Right now it's between the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants. Naturally, Gareth and I are wanting our boys in black and orange to go to the World Series once again.

"My moms are not your average mothers, they're very free spirited and non judgmental. You shouldn't walk in there with your guard up, Melody. There's nothing to worry about." Gareth grabbed my hand and gave it a gentle kiss, making my heart flutter as I started to relax a little.

"Yes, you're right. Hey, at least I don't have to worry about some sex deprived dad leering at me and staring at my ass."

"Ha, isn't that the truth. We're here." Gareth pulled into the cobblestone driveway of a large brown Tudor style ivy covered house.

"How do I look?" I had decided to go for a hybrid of casual and classy with a bright pink blazer, a solid white cotton tank top, lightly faded Levi's, and Lori's hot pink Valentino d'Orsay heels that I borrowed for the evening. My hair was down and blown out with lots of volume, my makeup was subtle, and the only jewelry I was wearing was a thick blue bangle and the Tahitian pearl and white diamond necklace that Gareth brought me back from Tokyo.

"You look beautiful, babe. Relax." Gareth got out of the car and opened the door for me. I loved how he always did that, I'd have to tell his mother Mary what a gentleman she raised.

"I'm good, I'm good. Why wouldn't I be? Look at who I'm dating." We both smiled when I leaned in and gave him a kiss as we walked to the front door hand in hand.

"Hey, I'm the lucky one here, doll face." Hearing him say things like that only made me skyrocket to the top of the world. All this sugary sweet, lovey dovey fluff was definitely growing on me, and this was how it's supposed to be.

"This house is wonderful."

"Yeah, I love it. Wait until you see-"

A loud, shattering sound could be heard from the other side of the door, along with a shrill scream and a series of high-pitched dog barking and cat screeching. I glanced over at Gareth with a puzzled look, only to see the expression on his face was slightly mortified.

"Everything ok in there?"

"ELIZABETH BRIGHTON PELETIER-MANDEL!"

"Huh?" He shook his head in bewilderment. "Uh… yeah, no… Hold on a second, ok? I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere." Gareth left me on the front porch as he scurried inside, and I couldn't even begin to fathom what was going on.

**_GARETH_ **

Judging by the sounds outside, I knew that things were a little disoriented, but I wasn't expecting such a mad house as I stepped inside. Our Sheba Emu Boba Fett and black cat Delorean were whining as they chased each other in a circle, Lizzie's blue and gold macaw parrot Rio was flying above them, babbling incessantly.

Before I could even call out to my moms, I glanced upstairs to see Lizzie chasing Mika as my youngest sister clutched desperately to her favorite doll.

"Gareth! Gareth! Gareth! Help me! Help me!" Mika zoomed down the stairs and flew into my arms.

"Mika…" I groaned, just barely catching her. "Sweetheart, you're getting too big for me to catch you, remember?"

"Don't be afraid, Mika! I want to test your DNA to see if you're a vampire!"

"Mom-my! Where are my heels? I want to show them to Melody!" Sophia whined as she got to the top of the staircase.

"Bro!" Alex appeared next to Sophia wearing only Ren and Stimpy boxers with white tube socks. "Is Tits McGee here already?!" He asked with a big, goofy smile on his face. Ever since he met Melody, the only thing Alex has been able to talk about were her breasts. Yes, I'll admit they're spectacular, but there's so much more to her than that and his immaturity was pissing me off.

"Tits McGee! Tits McGee!" Rio cawed.

"Alex, ewww! You're so sexist and what have I said about walking around in your boxers? You don't have the bod for it!"

" ** _QUI-ET!"_**

Everybody was stunned into silence, they knew that I hated raising my voice and I must have to be really peeved to do it. I pointed at my siblings as I addressed them.

"Lizzie, stop trying to cut Mika's hair or I'll take away that kit. Sophia, I think I saw your shoes in the hallway, you left them there when you were practicing your walk. Alex, you dare to utter that nickname in front of Melody, you'll regret it, and for crissakes put some damn clothes on!"

"Ok." They all turned and walked off with their heads down. This wasn't the first time this has happened, and I couldn't help but think of how it was back in San Francisco ten years ago. Cramming for my senior year finals after a double shift at Starbucks, which included opening, making sure Alex did his algebra homework, that Sophia and Lizzie got their baths and Mika got her bottle all on time, juggling that with simultaneously cooking dinner while The Moms were teaching classes at the Learning Annex. There were days where it had really worn me down, but thinking back, all my hard work paid off. I turned and looked at Mika, who was panting heavily.

"Are you ok? Here, let's get your inhaler." I took Grizelda Gunderson, Mika's asthma dolly, pulling out the inhaler and giving it to her, watching as she pressed down and took a couple deep breaths. "You good?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Thanks, Gareth. I love you. Don't tell Alex, but you're my favorite brother." Mika smiled and wrapped her arms around my neck, which made me smile. She really was a very sweet little girl, but I worried that her naïve innocence would be a problem when she got older.

"You're my favorite out of all my ten year old sisters, too. Come on, there's somebody very special I want to introduce you to." With a deep breath, I turned around and opened the door to see Melody patiently waiting. "Welcome to Casa Crazy, my darling."

**_MELODY_ **

I smiled as Gareth opened the door, holding his little sister, Mika. I decided to keep it to myself that I had heard everything going on, he sounded quite exasperated having to address the rowdy clan.

"Hey, I've seen it all. Don't forget, I live with Carl, a.k.a. Senor Obnoxious, but nobody beats my grandma Frances."

"Well, I can't wait to meet her and put you to the test on that one. Melody, this is my youngest sister, Mika. Mika, this is Melody."

"Hi." Mika shyly looked away, which I thought was adorable, along with her wavy blonde hair and chubby cheeks.

"It's nice meeting you, I've heard a lot of good things from your brother."

"Gare Bear is my favorite." Mika gave Gareth a kiss on the cheek and squeezed his neck before jumping out of his arms and running up the stairs, holding an odd looking redheaded doll.

"She's so cute." It was really sweet seeing Gareth interact with her, but I couldn't help but think of how he would be around somebody younger…

"Hey, Melody." I looked up to see Alex on the staircase balcony wearing Ren and Stimpy boxers and a smirk on his face, which left me kind of uncomfortable. Although, I wouldn't mind seeing his older brother with that little of clothing on, if not any clothing at all…

"Oh, hi, Alex."

"Alex, put your damn pants on!" Gareth growled up at him.

"Sheesh, bro! Chill out! Tits McGee, do my brother a favor and fuck him so he'll get off my ass." Alex shot me a wink.

"You imbecilic moron!" Gareth tried to race up the stairs, which made Alex run off into his room laughing, but I grabbed him just in time.

"Hey, hey. Easy there, hot lips." I smiled warmly at him as he took a deep breath and relaxed. The poor guy seemed so tense lately, I'd have to come up with a way to help him unwind.

"Sorry about that, don't pay any attention to what he says."

"Believe it or not, it wouldn't be the first time I've heard something like that, especially Tits McGee." Unfortunately, this was true. Due to developing early, I got called every name in the book and lots of unwanted attention. No matter what, it wouldn't change, I knew that much.

"Well, he still shouldn't do it. Anyways, what were you saying before all this?"

"Oh, I was saying that Mika is so cute."

"Yeah, she is. Come on." He grabbed me by the hand, walking me inside as I closed the door and looked around. "Mom? Momrol?"

"In the kitchen!"

Gareth led me into the kitchen as I looked around downstairs. The rooms were dimly lit with lots of polished wood fixings, the walls were adorned with multiple pieces of artwork, and there were a few sculptures, not to mention lots and lots of family pictures. It instantly reminded me of how my house used to look, back when my mom and I actually had a home, we weren't divided like we are now, even though that was my choice.

"Hello, ladies."

The kitchen was pretty basic. Marble flooring, granite countertops, more wood, it was a little bit smaller than mine in the Oak Park house. Like what I had seen of the rest of house, it too had such a warm, cozy feel.

"Honey! You're home!"

A woman, who I assumed was Gareth and Alex's biological mother Mary, walked forward and threw her arms around Gareth in a big hug. I stepped back to give them a moment, but found myself smiling at how happy they were to see each other. Since this is the first time I'm meeting the guy I'm dating's family, all interactions of them are completely new to me.

"Hi, Mom."

Gareth returned the hug and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"I feel like I hardly see you anymore. You're always so busy." She pulled back, her hands still on his shoulders, as she looked over and saw me.

"Hi." I shyly waved and grinned what my cousin referred to as an "Olympic gold winning smile". She should know, she was a beauty queen married to one of the hottest guys around.

"Oh, my gosh! Melody! Welcome!" Mary stepped out of Gareth's embrace and walked towards me. She had wavy, light brown hair worn in a side ponytail, clear blue eyes, and was a few extra pounds, but she wore it well with a colorful gypsy skirt, tank top, and light denim jacket. I was guessing that Gareth took after his dad, since he was almost a foot taller than me and Alex was kind of on the soft side, but the boys definitely had her nose. "I'm Mary, Gareth and Alex's mother." Mary then gave me a hug, which surprised me, but I returned it anyway.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. Thanks for having me over, you have a lovely home. Here," I held up the box. "I baked this, it's a caramel apple cake."

Her smile widened as she took the box. "Aren't you a doll? Thank you, dear! Go on, have a seat, make yourself at home." She went back into the kitchen and I could have sworn I saw her wink at Gareth as she walked by.

"Is there anything I can help you with?"

"No, not at all! Sit down, Melody."

"Yeah, you need to be seated, because you're about to be hit with a thousand questions that'll knock you off your feet." Gareth smirked as Mary rolled her eyes at him.

"That is so not true!" She laughingly smiled while looking over at me. "You'll have to forgive my son, he thinks he's a stand up comedian."

"Oh, it's alright, really. I'm an open book, ask away!" The nervousness was threatening to rear it's ugly head as I sat down at the breakfast bar by the kitchen, but so far I was feeling fine.

"You want anything to drink, babydoll?" Gareth asked from the refrigerator.

"Uh, sure. Surprise me."

"Alright."

"Is she here?" Another woman, who was obviously Carol, walked through the patio door. She was of average build with light green eyes and short, wispy grey hair. I was immediately reminded of Jamie Lee Curtis, but I could also see where Sophia looked a lot like her. Carol was more dressed down in a ribbed long sleeved shirt and cargo pants.

"Yes, Momrol, she's here." Gareth turned to me with a wink and a smile, which I knew made me blush slightly. "Melody, this is Carol, the brilliant artist that painted the lovely works you've seen on the walls and my second mother."

"Hi, Melody, it's really nice to meet you." Carol walked forwarded with her hand extended, which I shook.

"It's great to meet you, too. Your work is fantastic."

"Thank you very much."

I smiled and sat back, fully prepared for whatever was about to come my way.

**_TWENTY MINUTES LATER_ **

**_GARETH_ **

"That's so incredible! It's such a hard genre to tackle, and I imagine only very few people do." Melody sipped from her Perrier, unaware that I was watching her in awe. It had only been twenty minutes, but I could tell that my moms really liked her, and what was not to like?

"Have you seen many operas?" My mom asked while chopping cucumbers and tomatoes for the salad.

"No, not in person. Only when they've been on PBS, but _Les Miserables_ , _Carmen_ , and _La Boheme_ are my favorites."

"Mom actually played Fantine in _Les Mis_ years ago." I said, taking a swig from my Corona.

"Wow, really? I love "I Dreamed A Dream", it was actually one of the first songs I learned to sing all the way through. To this day, Beth still doesn't agree that Anne Hathaway should have played Fantine, or that Anna Kendrick should be playing Cinderella in _Into The Woods_."

"That's lovely, dear." Mom then pushed my shoulder and smiled. "Don't be so modest, Gareth. I wasn't the star, _you were_."

My eyes widened. "Oh, God. Mom, don't." It was too late, she was already headed to the fireplace mantle to grab the picture.

"Hush, you have nothing to be embarrassed about, snickerdoodle." She handed the frame to Melody. "Here's Gareth as Gavroche in that same production, and Alex was one of the unnamed Theandiers' sons."

"Awww! Gareth, you were sooo adorable!"

"Even back then he was a charmer, and people were simply amazed that such a little person like him had this larger than life voice. I had him doing summer stock every year since he was born, and when he got older he was cast in lead roles more times than not. The director of the local theater wanted to cast him as Jean Valjean when he was sixteen, but he played Marius instead because he was too young." Mom looked over at me and smiled. "That was one of my favorite productions, with Lacey Cohan as Cosette. You two were such a cute couple, Gareth. She made a big mistake not ending up with you."

"Yeah, sure, Mom." I whipped out my phone and sent Melody a text message.

" ** _Lacey Cohan was a heavyset raven haired girl that ended up being a short term teenage summer fling. It was nothing more than oral sex, pretty much."_**

Melody read the message and looked in my direction, our eyes meeting for a brief moment. I stared at the phone screen to see she was typing and proceeded to read her reply once it arrived.

" ** _Well, with a gorgeous cock like yours, I can see why she'd want to stick it in her mouth all summer long and then some ;)."_**

I had to restrain my jaw from hitting the floor as I glanced over at Melody, who shot me a very nonchalant wink. She made me feel like I was back when I was dating Lacey, a teenage boy with raging hormones.

"We kept getting cards from talent agencies all the time, but he never wanted to pursue it, said it was too stuffy. Gareth could have been the next Hugh Jackman." Carol said once she closed the refrigerator door. "But you'll always be a star to us, honey."

"Wow. You never told me that, Gareth."

"Yeah, yeah, I know I was precious. Can we talk about something else now?"

"Don't be embarrassed! You're lucky and you should be proud. I always wanted to be in musicals, but there was too much in the way." I was kind of curious as to what she meant by that, but decided to save it for a later time when we were alone. "I've got a story that tops yours."

I raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Oh, yeah? Try me."

She took a breath and I could tell she was trying not to laugh. "When I was little, I could never seem to keep my clothes on. I was always running around naked. One time in particular I was climbing on top of the monkey bars of my play set in the buff, our next door neighbor Josephine calls my mom and says "Lady Godiva is out riding again."." Melody released, finally allowing herself a giggle as my moms and I started laughing as well.

"That's quite the story, Melody."

"Why didn't you do that when we were at the park? That's definitely a sight I'd like to see." I leaned in and whispered in her ear, only for her to shoot me a shocked look that turned into a smirk.

"You're asking for it, Gareth Mandel." She nudged me under the breakfast bar before turning back to The Moms. "Anyways, I've seen more ballets and musicals than operas. My sister and I were ballerinas when we were younger, so the two kind of go hand in hand."

"She was?"

Melody nodded. "Mmhmm. She got pregnant with Carl and gave it up, but she got into teaching and choreography, so it's not like it totally hindered her. The two of us go with my mom, grandma, and great grandma to see _The Nutcracker_ every December."

"Why did you give it up?" Carol asked.

"Eh, I lost interest I suppose. My heart wasn't in it like Lori's was. I never wanted to practice, I just wanted to perform, I also didn't want to ruin my feet. That's how I got into makeup design. Now that I graduated from makeup school I can broaden my horizons creatively."

All I could think of while Melody spoke was the black leather portfolio under her bed that held all her stupendous creations, and I really had to find out one way or another why she wasn't pursuing anything.

**_TWO AND A HALF HOURS LATER_ **

"So I went through the neighborhood, yanked all the "Yes on Prop 8" signs off the lawns, and threw every single one in the street. Nobody ever suspected me of doing it, the cops just assumed it was the jerky boys that were vandalizing all the cars."

Everybody started laughing over one of Melody's stories. There weren't many laughs with Theresa, she didn't have the best sense of humor. Looking back, I don't know what I saw in her, but it didn't matter, because now I had Melody. The only problem was I didn't know when things would become official.

"Wow, you're quite the rebel, Melody." Carol said as she started gathering the plates. Dinner had gone really well and Melody's cake was fantastic. Sophia went on and on about the photo shoot, Lizzie begged Melody to make her look like something out of a horror film, and Mika asked her to braid her hair. My brother didn't say much, which was probably a good thing, but I'm glad that everybody is getting along. Alex and the girls had all gone off doing their own thing, so it was just the four of us sitting at the table talking.

"Here, let me clean up, Carol." Melody rose to her feet as Carol looked confused.

"What? No, you don't have to do that."

"She's right, Melody, we've got it. You're our guest!" The Moms persisted against her attempt, but Melody wasn't having any of it.

"No, it's fine. Please, you've worked so hard on this wonderful dinner, the least I can do is clean up. Relax, you deserve it."

My mom sighed and smiled. "Alright, if you really don't mind."

She shook her head. "Not at all. I'll be right back." Melody smiled and grabbed the plates. The Moms watched her walk out of the room before turning back to me, with Carol speaking first.

"So, Gareth?"

"Yes, Carol?"

"When's the wedding going to be?"

I cracked a smile as I looked down into my coffee cup, feeling a little embarrassed but excited that they liked her.

"Gareth, she really is a lovely girl, and I love seeing you with the pep back in your step."

I grabbed my mother's hand and smiled. "Yeah, same here, Mom. She's something else."

"Have you told her about…" Carol trailed off as they both watched me shake my head. My mom's mouth flew open and she narrowed her eyes at me, snatching her hand back.

"Gareth Adam Mandelbaumowitz!"

"It's Mandel now. Remember the day we all changed it?" I corrected her, knowing it was the wrong move as she scoffed.

"Whatever. Gareth Adam _Mandel_ , you better tell her." She hissed at me, which was something that was rarely done unless she was beyond the brink of annoyed.

"There's really no excuse as to why you haven't, you need to do it soon before it sneaks up and bites you in the ass."

"I don't want to freak her out, ok? I'm going to tell her soon, it's just about timing."

"IT'S HAPPENING! IT'S HAPPENING!" Alex raced into the room, so excited he could hardly breathe, which made us all look at him in confusion.

"What is it, Alex? Is the zombie apocalypse finally happening?" Mom sarcastically asked.

"What's going on?" Melody came in from the kitchen and stood next to me.

" **Dude, we won, WE WON! THE GIANTS ARE GOING TO THE MOTHERFUCKING WORLD SERIES AGAIN!"**

The four of us could hardly believe our ears, we were so elated that we all started screaming and cheering, hugging each other.

"Oh, my god! This is unbelievable!" Melody laughed as she threw her arms around my neck, letting out a squeal when I spun her around.

"Unbelievable? It's freaking awesome!" I set her down, staring into those pretty eyes, deciding I could no longer hold back the words I so desperately longed to say aloud. "Melody, I l-"

"I'm gonna make a shit ton of money! Woo Hoo! We're gonna win again!" Alex shouted before grabbing a chunk of the caramel apple cake and strolling back upstairs. Perhaps that had been fate's way of intervening on saying those four little words.

**_AN HOUR LATER_ **

**_MELODY_ **

"Thank you so much for having me over, it was a pleasure to meet you both." I said as I gave Mary and Carol a hug good bye. The evening had gone over better than I thought, Gareth's family- who up until today were total strangers- had accepted me in five and a half hours, which is more than I could say for my dad's family, who had known me my whole life.

"The pleasure was all ours, honey. You're welcome back here any time." Carol said.

"I'd love to."

"Melody, you're the first girl that Gareth has brought home to us since he split up with that monster Theresa. I can tell by the look in his eyes that my son cares a great deal for you. No matter what happens, promise me that you'll remember that." Mary smiled and I was so touched that she had gone out of her way to admit that to me.

"I promise, and I care for him a great deal myself. You've raised a breathtaking gentleman, Mary."

"Ready to go?" Gareth asked as he walked into the foyer.

I nodded. "Yep. Bye, you two."

"Good night, dear."

"Sleep well, Moms." Gareth smiled over at them.

"We will, sweetheart. See you in the morning." Mary and Carol walked up the stairs hand in hand as Gareth and I watched.

"They're really something else, you know that?"

He nodded. "I sure do."

We turned around and were about to walk out the door when Alex stopped us.

"Hey, hey, hey. Don't go anywhere yet."

"What's going on?"

Alex hopped off the last step, standing in front of us. "Hey, Melody. Do you want to get high?"

"Alex, no." Gareth shook his head.

"What? Why not?"

"I said so, that's why."

Alex rolled his eyes. "Dude, you are _such_ a buzz kill! Untwist your panties and live a little."

"I don't mind, really. It's been so long since I've gotten stoned, but you have to smoke me out, Gareth."

"I don't know, Melody. Alex's weed is pretty strong. Are you sure?" I could tell he was hesitant, but I found myself nodding anyway.

"She's game, let up on it. Besides, we have to have a celebratory smoke for our Giants, let's go."

We followed Alex up the stairs and into his room, which looked like it had chewed itself and spit itself out. Clothes strewn everywhere, multiple bags of chips and candy, magazines on the floor, and a huge reptile tank.

"Whoa, you have a purple bearded dragon?" I peered inside the cage to see the aforementioned, along with a pale pink leopard gecko and a green chameleon. "Carl always wanted one of these, but Lori hates reptiles."

"Yep, I sure do. That's Purple Haze, the gecko is Slash and the chameleon is Axel."

"Nice!"

Gareth sat down on the floor and pulled me into his lap as Alex got the pot.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" I could tell he was still a little doubtful, but how bad could Alex's weed be?

"Yes, Gareth, I'm totally sure."

"Alright, let's do this bitch!" Alex joined us on the floor, handing Gareth a joint and lit up the bong for himself.

"When was the last time you smoked pot?"

"It's been a while…" Truth be told, I hadn't smoked since the joints Shane got for me ran out almost two months ago. Before him, Randall was the one I got my pot from, and he's pretty much the last person I want to see or talk because I know he'll just try to get back together with me.

"Well, Melody, prepare to have your mind blown." Alex snickered as he wrapped his mouth around the bong while Gareth inhaled from the joint before turning to me, putting his hand on my face as our lips joined. I breathed in the smoke, holding the breath long enough until I knew I had had enough and exhaled.

"You got it all?" Gareth asked.

My only reply was to lean in and kiss him, I could never get enough of his sexy lips. Even though it had only been a few minutes, I knew this was going to be a great high.

**_TWO HOURS LATER_ **

**_GARETH_ **

"This reminds me of one time I got stoned with my ex and I was totally spaced out. He thought it would be really funny to keep poking me in the butt to get my attention." Melody burst into a fit of giggles.

"What, you mean like this?" Alex reached over but I smacked his hand away.

"Hey, nu-uh, no touchy, little brother." I pushed his hand away and wrapped my arm around Melody's waist, pulling her in closer to me. Sometimes my brother liked to push things to see how far he could take them, like nicknaming Melody "Tits McGee" and trying to poke her just now. If I didn't know better, I'd think he was after her for himself. We were outside in the backyard by the pool, me and Melody in the double lounger while Alex sat next to us, 80's music playing from the stereo. The sky was almost black, but the stars still found a way to shine as the moon illuminated an orange red color, indicating it would be a scorcher tomorrow.

"Whatever, you're no fun. The two of you have been making goo goo eyes at each other on and off for almost three hours. Tie the knot already, lovebirds." He got up, messing around with the volume on the stereo.

"Don't turn it too loud, Alex! I don't want the cops called on us." I looked up at Melody, who had situated herself on my lap in a straddling position. "I'm sorry about that, baby. He's an idiot. Don't pay attention to anything he says."

"No, he's not. Ok, fine, maybe he is, but he's a loveable idiot. Your whole family is so wonderful, Gareth. What you have here is a real family. Not everybody has that, I didn't."

"What? Yes, you do."

She shook her head. "No, I didn't. Not really. Lori was only around until I was six, she and Rick got married when she was pregnant with Carl and they moved to San Diego, I was pretty much an only child. We've only gotten really close in the past few years. My dad was too busy working, my mom was all I had for the most part, along with my aunt and two cousins. When they got divorced, she had to play the role of both parents. It didn't help that his whole family divorced me, too, they moved on when my dad did. I have two sisters that barely know who I am and when Lori finds out what I did, I won't have an older sister anymore, either."

I noticed there was a tear in the corner of her eye. Hating to see her sad, I reached up and wiped it away before cupping her cheek. "Shhh, don't cry, angel. It'll be ok. Don't tell me now, but whatever it is, it will work itself out the way it's supposed to. That's what Mika says all the time."

"Really?"

"Mmhmm." My fingers started running themselves through her tresses. This weed was really strong, because every touch felt like the first. Like I predicted the first night we met, I managed to get lost in her eyes every time we saw each other, and I never wanted the feeling to end. I was ready to just blurt out "I love you" right there and then, but the timing was still wrong, so I figured out a safe alternative. "You know that I'm absolutely crazy about you, right?"

Melody laughed and grabbed my hand, giving it a kiss. "I do now, yes, I feel the same." She smiled as "Africa" by Toto started playing. "Aww, I love this song!"

"Me, too."

"It's kind of romantic, don't you think?"

"Mmhmm." I nodded as I stared up at her. The hypnotic keys and chords of the song rang through the night air, and again, it seemed like Melody had a glow around her. It also seemed like everything was sparkling, especially her eyes. Still straddling me, hands on my chest, the way she looked at me like I was the only guy in the world worth looking at, for a minute I thought I felt my own heart stop.

"Gareth, what's going on with you?"

"Hmmm? Nothing, I was thinking about how damn beautiful you are." I absentmindedly twirled her hair through my fingers as she blushed and looked down.

"Oh, stop. You're too much." I could tell she was embarrassed, so I gently took her chin in my hand so our eyes could meet.

"I'm serious. Listen, Melody. I know that it hasn't been that long, but it feels like it has. I spent almost eight years with somebody that took me for granted and stomped on my heart, but life has a funny way of working itself out. Had I not caught Theresa cheating on me with Sam, I never would have dumped her and then we never would have met. Until recently, I didn't think very highly of myself. I mean, I knew I was talented and intelligent, but I didn't think I was anything extraordinary. At least not until I moved to So Cal, that's when everything took off, because Rick gave me a chance, just like you have. You don't see me as some quiet and scrawny nerd, you see me for who I am now."

"We all have a past, Gareth. When you're ready to hear it, I need to tell you about mine. All I hope is that you won't run because of it." There was something really worrying her, and while I wanted to know what it was, I didn't want to ruin the moment and risk upsetting her.

"I could never run from you. Not in a million lifetimes." I smiled as the song led into the chorus. "Listen to the lyrics."

" ** _It's gonna take a lot to drag me away from you_**

**_There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do_**

**_I bless the rains down in Africa_ **

**_Gonna take some time to do the things we never had."_ **

"That's how I feel, Melody. There's not a single thing that anybody can do, whether it be a single person or an army, that would drag me away from you, and I bless Rick down at Woodbury." There was nothing about her that would shock me, because when you care about somebody, you have to take the good hand in hand with the bad. Besides, I'm no saint myself, either.

Melody laughed. "You're too cute, and I feel exactly the same way." She leaned in and kissed me. We spent the next couple hours just talking and kissing with some staring in between until we fell asleep in each other's arms. Unfortunately, the perfect moment was ruined at five in the morning when Alex thought it would be hilarious to turn the sprinklers on us.

**_Reviews are encouraged! Please read and follow and spread the word! NO FLAMES! :)_ **


	14. Keep on Running

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Melody surprises Gareth in his office at Woodbury with her sexual side. Unfortunately, they are interrupted by an obnoxious Martin, who takes things too far. Shane continues his relentless torment of Melody, who has had enough. Melody confesses to Gareth her disappointment in how he handled things with Martin and is surprised when he owns up to not making a stronger attempt. Melody accepts Gareth's apology and agrees to talk things out. An unfortunate encounter with an old flame has Gareth exasperated and Melody running.

**Hi everybody! 8 more days until my birthday! Brace yourselves, there's about to be some trouble in paradise for Garody (or as Prettyprincess45 has dubbed them, "Melareth". Very Cute! :D). We all remember Martin from Terminus and trying to hurt Judith. My original character Genevieve is based off of Nicole Kidman's character Satine in _Moulin Rouge!_. Also, I will be updating _Forever Rising Phoenix_ tomorrow most likely! :)**

**I wanna give a special shout out to my beta reader texasbelle91, as well as Chloe3, DarylDixon'sgirl1985, Headwalkerz (Sorry I keep forgetting you, too! :/) He-Who-Shall-Live, Hey01ig, Lego Kid At Heart, Prettyprincess45, and SilverSun09. Please check out their stories, because they are freaking awesome!**

**_WARNING: STRONG SEXUAL CONTENT!_ **

**_Chapter Fourteen: Keep On Running_ **

**_Woodbury Communications, Chatsworth, Wednesday, October 22nd, 3:00 PM_ **

**_GARETH_ **

"I'm telling you, Andrew, this ad is going to be killer. It will be one of the most memorable Super Bowl commercials that's ever aired, definitely the most vibrant-" As I was speaking to Andrew, the rep from Audi, my second line started ringing. "Hey, Andy, can you hold on a second? Thanks, pal." I pressed the second line button, awaiting whatever it was my assistant had to tell me. "What's going on, Kaylee?"

"Mr. Mandel, there's a Melody Silverstone here to see you."

My face broke out into the biggest smile knowing that Melody was on the other side of the door. "Excellent, send her on in."

"Yes, sir."

I pushed the button to my first line, leaning back in my chair as I tossed my lucky baseball up and down. "You still there, man? Great. Listen, I gotta go, my next client just walked in, but mark my word, you will be blown away when you see this concept." When the door opened and Melody walked through, I couldn't contain my smile as I motioned her in. "Lincoln got the last laugh in the end when their sales increased twenty five percent since running the Mcconaughey commercials. Alright, that's perfect. You won't be disappointed, Woodbury always exceeds expectations. Take care, bye-bye." I hung up the phone and stood up, walking over. "Hey, there she is."

"Hey, hey, hot shot. Sounds like you sealed a deal." Melody flipped her hair behind her shoulder, smiling. She looked lovely in a black three quarter length sleeve shirt, showing tasteful cleavage, and a royal blue pencil skirt with a pair of black patent leather Christian Louboutin pumps and a metallic royal blue leather quilted Chanel purse.

"Something like that. Another day, another deal, another dollar." My hand made its way to the small of her back, pulling her in for a kiss. "You look great. Ready to get to work?" I turned around, walking back to my desk.

"Mmhmm. Where should I sit?"

"Wherever your little heart desires." Last night at the San Francisco Saloon, where we were watching the first game of the World Series surrounded by wall to wall Giants fans, I had convinced Melody to let me design a website for her makeup work, all the while keeping the secret about seeing her portfolio. Today we were having a creative meeting to get started, then in a few hours I was taking her out to dinner and then we were going to go back to my place to watch the second game. After Hunter Pence hit a two run homer that led into a three run first inning, this series was off to a kickass start with the Giants not only beating the Royals 7-1, but also winning their seventh Series game in a row dating to 2010. Plus, I received another incredible blowjob in my car from Melody when I dropped her off. She really was something else, that girl, but I hope she didn't feel pressured to satisfy me so I'd stick around, because that's not how I am at all.

"Alright, I brought the memory stick with all my pictures on it so we can upload them first." Melody pulled the memory stick out as she set her purse on the chair in front of my desk and then sat down on my actual desk, which surprised me a little as I sat down. "Here you go."

"Thanks." I woke my computer up and plugged in the memory stick.

"I've never seen you with your glasses on before." She leaned back on her hands as she crossed one leg over the other, and I couldn't help but notice the sultry tone of her voice or the way she was positioned on my desk.

"Oh, I only wear them at the office on an as needed basis." I chuckled, feeling my voice crack as I rearranged my glasses, her gaze penetrating me.

"Well, they look _very_ sexy on you, Gareth." Melody started twirling a long strand of her hair between her fingers, her lips parted as she cocked her head to the side and batted her eyelashes.

"Y-you're welcome." I was becoming hot and bothered by her demeanor, more hot than bothered, so I decided that getting to work would probably be what was best. Opening the folder and looking through the pictures, I had to act as if it was the first time seeing them. "Wow, Melody, these are incredible. You're so talented."

"Thanks, I put a lot of time and effort into my creations, from sketching to the actual application process."

"It certainly shows."

"So, your assistant, Kaylee. What's her deal?"

"What do you mean?" I looked over to see she had moved even closer, her feet in between my legs.

"She's sweet except she just seems out of place is what I mean. The makeup doesn't exactly cover the lacey spider webs on her neck very well. Rick is pretty conservative, I'm surprised he doesn't have a problem with it. That and no offense, but she kind of looks like Daisy de la Hoya."

"Ha, you mean that _Rock of Love_ chick? Eh, I guess she does, but Kaylee's a good girl. Very hard worker, we met at The Viper Room last year and I offered her a job."

"Hmm, I guess that's cool. Have you two ever hooked up?" Melody's heel started stroking my leg, up and down, and I could feel all the blood in my body rush straight to my most sacred member.

"Huh? No way, I'd never mix business and pleasure. Plus, I'm not into blondes. My brother is though, you saw that massive poster of Kate Upton he has on his wall. Then again, Alex is into anything with breasts." I didn't want to tell her about how Kaylee literally threw herself on me when I privately told her about my broken engagement. I was tempted, but I didn't want to take a chance by possibly complicating the work relationship, and we agreed not to bring it up again.

"Then what are you into?" The next thing I felt was Melody grabbing my tie, twisting it and pulling me closer to her, staring with hungry, seductive eyes. My arousal levels had catapulted to the top of the meter, but I was suddenly feeling a little apprehensive. I cleared my throat as I stared back into those eyes.

"Well, you know I'm into you, sweetheart. There's no denying that." I put my hands on her knees as she spread her legs to being on either side of mine.

"I know, but I'm getting a little… concerned."

My eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. "Concerned? Why? Everything's been going so well."

She placed her hands on top of mine before speaking again. "I know it has, it's just I'm worried you're getting a little antsy because we haven't jumped into bed yet. Don't tell me you're not, because I know you are. I'm also worried that I've been sending mixed signals lately, which was not my intention at all."

"Melody, no. I mean, I _do_ want to take things further, but I don't want you to feel pressured at all. Besides, last night was pretty great, and it's definitely left me enthralled for what's in store when you're ready." I leaned up and kissed her, only for Melody to put her heel on my chest and push me back into my chair against the wall, my heart was beating so loudly I could hear it throughout my whole body.

"Well, after a lot of thought, I've decided that I really am ready, but I want to show what you bring out of me, that I know how to give you exactly what you want." She walked over and straddled me, leaning into my ear. "While there's really nothing more that I want to do at this moment than unzip your pants, sit on your cock and ride you, I'll leave that for tonight. Right now, we're going to have a little fun."

Melody winked at me, which was when I could no longer hold back. Standing up, I grabbed her by the back of the head, smashing our lips together as I wrapped her legs around me. Grinning to myself when I heard her moan in my mouth, our tongues in their usual duel, I laid her down on my desk, feeling like my cock was going to explode, only for her to break the kiss and sit up.

"Ahh, ahh, ahh. Not here. We don't want the whole office talking now, do we, Wonder Boy?" She asked, wagging her finger back and forth before pointing at the chair. "Pull your chair over here and sit. Like I said, we're going to have a little fun."

Without a word, I gave in and sat down, waiting for her next command. "What do you want me to do?

Melody reached over and took my glasses off before leaning back on her palms again. "I want you to put your hand up my skirt and take off my panties, Gareth."

Those stunning eyes were filled with such intense lust and raw desire that I was ready to pull an old fashion: clear my desk of everything and simply ravage her.

I gulped, both nervous and aroused. This was completely unexpected, but it was also totally hot. "R-right here?"

She nodded. "Yes."

I again felt like the nerd with the most popular girl in school. Melody's newfound sexuality left me powerless and spellbound, I would do anything she asked of me. My large hands slowly made their way up her skirt until arriving at her panties, which I caught a brief glimpse of when her legs were slightly spread a moment ago. My fingers wrapped around the sides and pulled them down her smooth legs, revealing a black lace thong with a strand of pearls acting as the front of it. These were the last kind of panties I was expecting Melody to wear, but then I thought back on how she was when I returned from Tokyo, so I shouldn't be too surprised. This girl had all kinds of sexy just waiting to be unleashed.

"Nice panties. I'm impressed."

"Thank you. I was saving them for a special guy."

"I'm glad to know that. You're a special girl to me, also. Now what do you want me to do?"

Melody hesitated before replying. "I want you to do to me what you did that night on my bed, before Beth interrupted us."

"Hmmm, that won't be a problem at all." I shot her a sly grin, feeling my own sexual side coming out as my hand once again went up her skirt, my fingers probing into her wet folds, her sounds of pleasure only making my grin broaden. "Mmm, I can't wait to make love to you. As you know, I'm very well endowed. I've seen you take the whole thing in that pretty little mouth of yours, but do you think you can take all of me inside your sex box, baby?"

She nodded, biting her lower lip. "Oh, yeah. I know I can. Sex box, huh? That's interesting, I like it. Thank God you didn't say pussy. It's such a turnoff, although, I find tits to be hilarious."

"I'm with you on that, and you've definitely got a great pair of those, if I do say so myself."

"You think?"

I nodded. "Absolutely. I can't stop looking at those pictures you sent me, they're an unbelievable preview." Melody kept to her word and sent me the sexy Halloween costume pictures, they just made me want her more.

"Well, you're about to get another preview right now." Melody never took her eyes off of me as she slowly unbuttoned her shirt, stopping beneath her breasts and fully exposing her white lacey bra. I could literally feel my mouth fly open, my eyes bulge, and my hardened dick further pressing into the zipper of my pants as I noticed her headlights were on.

"Oh Christ, I'm gonna cum in my pants. Are you trying to kill me with those things?"

She let out a soft giggle as my free hand immediately shot out and grabbed her right breast. They were exactly what I imagined, even though she wasn't completely topless, this was the closest I've come to seeing them so far. Tan, larger than life, spectacular double Ds. My fingers sped up as I brought her to the edge of the desk, burying my face in her chest as I nibbled and sucked the skin in between her breasts. Melody threw her head back and moaned, pressing herself into me.

"Mmm, Gareth, I want you so badly." She yanked me by the hair off her chest and pulled me to her lips, kissing me with such ardor as she moved in sync with my fingers. My mind went to the condoms I always kept on me, which were now lambskin, of course. I couldn't have another moment like at the park, and that's exactly what I was going to do. Lock the door, give Kaylee the rest of the day off, pull down the blinds, and rip Melody's clothes off. The couch, my chair, the desk, against the wall. It was irrelevant where it was going to happen, all I knew was that I _had_ to have her, and I had to have her _now_.

"Holy hips, lips, tits, and ass! It must be my lucky day."

I looked over to see Martin in the doorway, dressed down with a huge smirk on his face and a Dodgers baseball hat on his head, obnoxiously chewing a piece of gum in his mouth. Melody gasped and quickly rearranged her top. As I withdrew my hand from her skirt and shoved her panties in my pocket, I noticed that she immediately tensed up when Martin walked in and all the color drained from her face. It might have been from getting caught, but she had also mentioned that she thought he was a pervert, except she hadn't gone into much detail after that. Maybe something else had happened that was being kept from me? Either way, I had to get him out of there.

"What can I help you with, Martin?"

He completely ignored my question as he let out a catcall, lecherously eyeing Melody up and down, still popping his gum. "Well, hel-lo, Melondy. It's been too long."

"Hi, Martin the Moron. I don't think it's been long enough." Melody said in a contrived Valley Girl voice, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Was there something you needed?"

He stared down at my desk before glancing over and seeing Melody's panties in my pocket, wiggling his eyebrows at me. "Yeah, I came here to get the Jet Blue file." With a wicked leer, Martin walked to my desk, his hand reached out and grabbed the folder, which was directly under Melody. I watched in frustration as he was grabbing her ass, and I couldn't let that happen.

"Martin-"

" ** _OW! FUCK!"_**

Melody's entire hand was gripping Martin's fingers and raising his hand up as he winced in pain, she glared over at him. "Try anything like that again, and I will not hesitate to bring you to your knees… in pain. Got it, moron?" Melody spoke in the Valley Girl voice again, a smile on her face as she gripped his fingers even tighter and Martin couldn't help but wince in agony.

"Y-y-yes. Please, pretty please, just let me go. AHH!"

I could have sworn that I heard the faint cracking of bones as she tightened her grip again before fully releasing his hand and looking back at me, taking a deep breath. "So, you'll pick me up at 6, right?"

"Fuck! I think it's broken!" Martin cradled his injured hand. "Jesus Christ, woman!"

I ignored Martin's cries and nodded to Melody. "Of course."

"Super. I gotta go, but I'll see you then." She hopped off my desk and walked around, grabbing her purse. Although she acted like everything was fine, I could tell she was frazzled.

"But what about-"

"My website? We'll obviously have to do it another time, when we aren't interrupted by some stupid douchebag." Melody kicked Martin in the shin, causing him to drop to his knees and groan. "Bye, hun. I'll see you tonight."

"Melody, wait." I got up from my chair, ignoring Martin and sprinted over to her as she reached the door. "Don't go because of him."

She shook her head. "No, it's fine." Except I knew it wasn't.

"You forgot your-"

"Panties? I told you to keep them, it's a forget-me-not."

I shook my head. "No, uh, thank you, but that's not what I was referring to. I meant your memory stick."

"Oh, hold on to that, too. Save it for next time when we can actually get to work." She started to open the door, but I wrapped my hand over hers to make her stay.

"Babe, please don't leave. I'm sorry he acted that way, I'll make him apologize." I looked at her with a solemn expression, genuinely not wanting her to go, but she shook her head.

"No, forget it. It wouldn't be sincere. If I know one thing, it's that somebody like him will never learn. Thanks for trying, though. I appreciate it." Melody leaned up and gave me a kiss, I knew that she was on the verge of tears, I could tell. "I'll see you in a few hours. Bye, Gareth." With that, she opened the door and walked out.

I felt helpless as I watched her leave, not to mention incredibly guilty. How could I just sit there and allow that to happen, how could I let my partner-let alone another man- grab my unofficial girlfriend like that? Turning around to see Martin rising up, all I saw was red as I marched forward.

"Martin, what the fuck was that for?!"

He straightened up, giving me a deer in headlights look. "Me?! What did I do?!"

"Don't give me that shit. _You know_ what you did. How dare you try to feel up my girlfriend like that, and right in front of me nonetheless!" I barked at him, which only made Martin start snickering.

"Oh, Melondy's your little girlfriend now, huh? I guess I missed that memo. When did she get the upgrade from charity case? Did you finally fuck her, Gareth?"

"She was never a charity case, and you _will_ apologize to her. If I ever see you pulling that kind of shit again, especially at the office, I won't waste a second telling Rick. You got the folder, now get the fuck out."

I was too enraged to deal with him further. Once Martin left and I calmed down, I knew I had to track Melody down before she left, she couldn't leave here thinking that this was acceptable.

**_MELODY_ **

I took a deep breath as I dabbed my eyes and cheeks in the bathroom, thankful that I had applied the waterproof Miss Manga mascara before arriving. Utterly embarrassed would be one-way to describe my feelings, but humiliated and insulted would suffice, too. Why hadn't Gareth done anything else to stop Martin from groping me, or even speaking to me the way he did? Did I mean anything to him at all, or was he just sweet-talking me to get into my pants?

Perhaps my doubts were true all along, that he's too good to be true and that we shouldn't be together, that he only took me out to please Rick. I had convinced myself that he was genuine, that I was ready to let my guard down, bare my soul, even reveal my inner sex kitten, but I was clearly mistaken. To make matters worse, he didn't even come after me to see if I was ok, and he should have. What kind of person does that?

With one final breath, I exited the stall, washed my hands, and left the bathroom. As I was making my way to the elevator, I decided that tonight would be our last date, because I couldn't deal with this anymore, I'm driving myself crazy with my constant ups and downs. Although, a part of me wanted to give him a chance to explain himself, except I'm too enraged right now. There's nothing to explain, he sat there with a hard on in his pants and a thumb up his ass. A typical little boy instead of a real man. I was so distracted by my racing thoughts that I was caught completely off guard when somebody yanked my arm into a corner, covering my mouth before I could let out a scream for help. I looked up to see Shane's familiar leer.

"Hey, honey tits. Glad to see you here."

I shot him a nasty glare as I shoved his hand off of me, my anger rising. "Why won't you leave me alone?! I don't want anything to do with you!"

Shane scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Don't play me for a fool, sugar pussy. Nobody will ever fuck you like I can. What's this I hear that you're dating Steve Jobs Jr.?"

I don't know how he found out, but I was stunned into silence at the moment. Shane would tell Gareth about our affair and my dad, things he needs to hear from _me_ , not some horn dog jackass who will twist things.

"What I do is none of your damn business, and if you don't fuck off once and for all, I will tell Rick and Lori everything. I'm sick of your shit." I tried to leave the corner he had us wedged into, but Shane put his full body weight on me, once again using his physical strength as an advantage. "Get off of me or I'll scream."

The only thing he did was laugh as he pushed himself into me further despite my squirming to break free. "Listen to me, chick. You'll do exactly as I say if you don't want your little boyfriend to find out that you're The Governor's neglected spoiled princess that fucked the owner of the company he founded. As far as I'm concerned, I own you. You're too weak to do anything about it."

Hearing that was the final straw. I may be damaged and depressed, but I _am not_ weak. I raised my right arm up, turned to the side, and elbowed him hard in the chest, letting out my rage as I raised my knee, kicking him in the groin and shoving him. Luckily, the impact effected him immediately as he dropped to his knees, it was enough for me to break free and run off. Déjà vu all over again with the Tony Robbins incident, I ran until I reached my car, locking myself inside until I stopped hyperventilating. I was only torturing myself keeping this all in, maybe it's was karma because I was such a problematic child growing up, the reason why Dad left and Mom couldn't get a job and we lost our house and our money. Maybe I'm just a burden on everybody's lives, even though I knew I wasn't. Right now, my mind was a mess, I needed to go home and unwind, think everything over before tonight. I turned the key in the ignition, "Set Fire To The Rain" by Adele blaring from the stereo as I drove out of the parking structure.

**_Providence, Los Angeles, 8:45 PM_ **

**_GARETH_ **

"That's pretty much Starbucks in a nutshell for you. Man, who would think that I'd go from working there to contributing to their advertising, huh?"

"Uh huh." Melody nodded, her eyes never leaving her phone as she played Fruit Ninja. "That's nice."

Normally, in addition to an actual response, I would have gotten a smile and a compliment, but she had been acting cold and standoffish all evening. When I picked Melody up, she was dressed more provocatively than I've ever seen her. She was wearing a tight black bandage dress, a high, sleek ponytail, dark eye makeup, and black pumps. Melody barely let me kiss her hello, she just brushed past me and got in the car. We hardly talked the whole ride to the restaurant or when we sat down except to give each other updates on the baseball game. The ambiance must have been affecting everything, because the Royals killed the Giants 7-2, now evening the World Series 1-1.

"Honey, what's wrong? You barely touched your food and haven't spoken more than two sentences to me all night." We were at Providence, a trendy seafood restaurant in L.A. with dishes served by famed Chef Michael Cimarusti. It's a pretty tranquil setting, a spacious two-story place with khaki/beige walls decorated with white flower blossoms. Providence was one of the most romantic restaurants in the city, and tonight, which was supposed to be starry-eyed for us, was more like what our first date should have been: uncomfortable and awkward.

"Nothing, I'm fine, Gareth. I guess I wasn't as hungry as I thought I was. I just have a lot on my mind." She looked away, and I was starting to get frustrated. Obviously, I knew what was bothering her, but she needed to tell me, I'm too old for guessing games.

"No, you're not fine. I know you're lying to me, but what I don't know is why." I spoke to Melody in a firm voice, which made her finally look over at me with an annoyed grimace.

"The fact that you have to ask proves that either you're completely oblivious or you genuinely don't care." Up to this point, I've never seen her get angry or act unconcealed, she was always very bubbly and sweet. This was coming off as a surprise, except then I remembered what she said at the park about having an emotional "crazy" side of her, perhaps this was it.

"Melody, I'm not a mind reader. Therefore, I have no idea what's bothering you, but I want you to tell me. We can discuss this in a rational manner. Please? I don't want to argue, especially not here." I took her hand from across the table, trying to show that I was being sincere, but she was still irritated and yanked it away, narrowing her eyes at me.

"Ok, well, let's start with how you let your design partner grab my ass and did nothing about it. I mean, what the heck, Gareth? I know I said earlier that I thought I was the one sending you mixed signals, but maybe it's the other way around and _you're_ the one sending me mixed signals. Daryl jokingly puts his hands on me, you say how you didn't like it and want to be the only one to touch me that way, then you very maturely approach Daryl. Today, Martin barges in on unannounced, leers and blatantly grabs my ass, and what did you do? Nothing! You didn't do anything at all, Gareth, and I'm really hurt over that. Especially when you know how I feel about Martin. He's a pervert, he's always making sexist comments and leering at me, he's even made pathetic moves to try feeling up against me. Why didn't you make a stronger attempt?"

It had been on my mind all day that I hadn't been more assertive with Martin until after Melody left, and she was right. I sighed heavily before speaking. "You're one hundred percent justified."

"Yeah, I am. I- wait, what? Did I hear you correctly?" Melody's tone had changed mid sentence from annoyed to shocked, her expression matched as well.

I nodded. "Yes, you're right. I think what happened was that I was in shock. One minute we're messing around and the next minute he's barging in. It threw me off guard, and my attempt to stop him was actually kind of feeble. I let him have it once you left, but I should have thrown him out. I'm so, so sorry, babe, I can't stress it enough. I even ran after you. By the time I got there, you were pulling out of the parking structure. Here," I pulled out my phone and unlocked it. "check my call logs and texts, I really was concerned. I appreciate what you did for me today, and I know it took a lot for you to do that. You have to believe me when I tell you that I really am sorry for not defending you and I promise it won't happen again." My guilt was dripping in my words, there was nothing more I could do but put myself out there.

Melody glanced through my phone before handing it back, her expression still softened. "Call me crazy, but I believe you. It takes a lot to admit when you're wrong, anybody else more than likely would have turned it around on me. As far as that goes, even though I didn't like it, I think I can give you the benefit of the doubt."

I smiled at her, feeling relieved that she had a change of heart. "Never again, Melody. You have my word."

She still had a sad look on her face. "Except I can't shake this foreboding feeling that there's something you're holding back. I'm right, aren't I?"

The words from my moms began echoing in my head, and I knew this had dragged on long enough. I was once again guilty for something I should have been up front about when we first met. "Actually, there are some things I have to discuss with you. Why don't we get out of here and we can talk about it at my place? Everybody will be upstairs by the time we get there, so we'll have some privacy."

After a moment to think it over, she nodded with a small smile. "Ok, let's do it. There are some things I have to discuss with you also."

"Great, I'll get the check." I inwardly sighed in relief as I motioned the waitress over, holding my card up.

"I'm going to go to the bathroom, so why don't I just meet you outside by the valet?"

"Alright, that's fine."

Melody got up, her smile finally returning. "You're one of the good guys, Gareth. Don't make me eat my words now." She leaned in and kissed me on the cheek before walking off. I hoped that she would still think that after everything was unveiled.

**_FIVE MINUTES LATER_ **

I waited in line for the valet to bring my car around, thankful that there were only two more cars ahead of me. For a Wednesday night, the place certainly was packed, and Melody still hadn't met me out here yet. I was feeling nervous all over again, kicking myself for not saying anything sooner. All I hoped was that she wouldn't be too shocked.

"Gaareeth?"

A voice that had briefly been music to my ears at one time in my life was now deemed insufferable. Being the gentleman that I am, I couldn't simply ignore her, even though I wanted to grab Melody from the bathroom and make a run for it.

"Genevieve?"

Sure enough, when I turned around, my assumption was correct. There she was, Genevieve Céline, all five feet ten of her, standing next to a Rolls Royce with an elderly gentleman. I considered her a hybrid of Jessica Rabbit and 1990's Nicole Kidman, but if I didn't know any better, I'd assume she was some kind of high-class escort. She was donning a very tight, sparkly red strapless dress, black fur lined kitten heeled mules, a black fur stole, and of course, lots of diamonds. Her green eyes dazzled as she saw me, her cherry red lips curling up into a lascivious grin as she flipped her wavy, near waist length red hair behind her shoulder and strutted over.

"Gaareeth! Ma chérie, vhat a suprise!" She grabbed me by the shoulders and kissed me on both cheeks, oblivious to my stiffened body language, her potent floral fragrance almost making me dizzy. I looked over at the elderly gentleman she had arrived with, but he didn't seem to care and just strolled inside without a second glance at what his date was doing.

"Bonjour, Genevieve. I had no idea you were coming into town." After our two-night stand that sealed the Judith Lieber account, Genevieve had left the country, returning to her mainland. She had tried to get into contact with me saying she wanted to visit, but I had always been busy and her plans ended up falling through. Actually, Genevieve was kind of a flake in my opinion. Our meeting had been rescheduled six times before she finally arrived. Rick felt intimidated by her, which is why I swept in and took over. Even though we got the account, I regret my actions.

"Yes, but only for a few days. Gaareeth, garçon doux." She wrapped her arms around my neck, almost having me in a vice like grip as she leaned in, twirling the back of my hair. "You haven't returned my calls. You enjoyed our time together, no? I know I did." Genevieve winked before speaking her native tongue with her thick accent. Luckily for me, I was bilingual from both taking French during all four years of high school and catching up before the meetings.

"Regarder profondément dans vos yeux bruns verts me rend faible au niveau des genoux." (Translation: "Looking deep into your green brown eyes makes me weak at the knees.") She threw her head back and giggled. "Je souhaite que nous ne étions pas en public, je souhaite que nous étions seuls avec mes jambes dessus de votre tête comme la dernière fois …" (Translation: "I wish we weren't out in public, I wish we were alone with my legs over your head just like last time…")

I laughed awkwardly, finally succeeding in getting her hands off of me. "Oui, oui. We had a nice time, but that was months ago. A lot has changed. I'm seeing somebody now. It's getting pretty serious."

Unfortunately, not even that shook her off. "Ooo, une petite amie pour Gaareeth? (Translation: "Ooo, a girlfriend for Gareth?")? That shouldn't be a problem. Why don't we go back to my suite at the Marriot and have some fun? I still remember your taste, and standing in front of you now makes me think about it all over again." Genevieve wrapped her arms around my neck again, grabbing the back of my head, uniting our lips for a kiss before I could protest. Wide eyed, I stepped back, getting her off of me once again.

"Genevieve-"

" ** _YOU FUCKING PRICK!"_**

Panic ensued throughout my body as I recognized the voice, and when I turned around, the wind was knocked out of me. Melody was standing there, her beautiful face twisted up in an infuriated scowl, her green grey eyes now shined with angry tears, she was seething mad.

"Melody, I swear, it's not-"

She reached back and slapped me across the face so hard that I stumbled into Genevieve, who went over the sidewalk and fell in a small puddle of backwash water. My face was stinging from the impact as the girl I really wanted storm off, mistaken me for something I'm not. I ignored Genevieve's cursing in French and ran after Melody.

"Melody, wait!"

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	15. Divulge, Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following his misinterpreted encounter with Genevieve, Gareth chases Melody down and explains himself. After revealing that he's falling for her, Melody believes him and opens up a bit more about her concerns. The young couple, wrapped up in zealousness, go back to Gareth's house and almost fully succumb to their passions until a surprise interrupts them.

**Hi everybody! 4 more days until my birthday! Again, brace yourselves, there's about to be some trouble in paradise for Garody. I just hope that as far as the ending goes that nobody saw it coming ;)**

**I wanna give a special shout out to my beta reader texasbelle91, as well as Chloe3, DarylDixon'sgirl1985, Headwalkerz, He-Who-Shall-Live, Hey01ig, Lego Kid At Heart, Prettyprincess45, and SilverSun09. Please check out their stories, because they are freaking awesome!**

**_WARNING: STRONG SEXUAL CONTENT!_ **

**_Chapter Fifteen: Divulge, Part One_ **

**_GARETH_ **

"Melody!" I had been chasing her for about two blocks, but she wouldn't stop. There had to be a way to get her to listen to me.

"Just stay away from me, Gareth. I want nothing to do with you!"

"Please, listen to me! It really isn't what it looked like! She kissed me and I pushed her off!" I turned her around, staring into her eyes with panic and sadness. "Please, please, Melody. I swear I'm telling the truth."

She glared before shoving me away. "How am I supposed to believe that? The guy you are today is NOT the guy I've been with for almost two months. No, this guy is somebody else entirely. First, you let your partner both verbally and physically manhandle me, then you start making out with some Parisian whore whispering sweet nothings into your ear?!"

"I didn't make out with her! Didn't you see or hear me trying to get away? Her name is Genevieve, she's the rep from Judith Lieber. We had a two-night stand when she was out here, but it meant nothing, Melody. I'm not attracted to her like I am to you!"

"So you slept with her to land the account? Is she the only one?"

I shook my head, utterly ashamed and knowing how bad this was about to make me look. "No, she's not. There was this chick from Jaguar, but it was only those two. I haven't done it since and I don't plan on doing it ever again. I regret my actions. This shouldn't interfere with me and you, Melody, especially since it was before we even met."

Melody scoffed and rolled her eyes. "What, do you think this is _Mad Men_? What the hell is wrong with you? Did you do to them what you planned on doing to me?" I opened my mouth to answer, but she threw her hand up. "No, don't even dignify that question with a response, I don't want to know. How do I know that you taking me out wasn't part of some business deal, too?"

"It's not." I know that I was biting my tongue saying that, but truth be told, it was Rick who threw in about my promotion, not me. "Melody, why can't you believe that I really like you? Do you think if I didn't like you I'd keep taking you out or that I'd introduce you to my family? You have to believe me! I even told her I was seeing someone and it was getting serious! Why would I want her when _you're_ the one I'm falling for?!" All I could do was pour my heart out and hope that she would see that I'm being authentic.

**_MELODY_ **

Regardless of how mad I was, and I'm pretty raged, I actually believe Gareth. He seemed pretty repentant for the incident that happened, but to hear him say he was actually falling for me was something else. No guy has ever said that to me before, but I knew he meant it beyond just saying it to appease me.

"It's not just that. What I did at Woodbury was me trying to show that I have many sides, sides I choose to reveal to certain people. Sexually, I guess you can say my confidence comes and goes. There's times like today where I'm all out there, and then there's other times where I'm really reserved. I mean, I'm being genuine with my feelings and concerns right now. So when I saw her throwing herself at you, I was naturally skeptical and jumped to conclusions, but I do believe you, except let's face it, she's a knockout. How do I know that there won't be somebody else, Gareth? That there won't be some leggy vixen whose account you _have_ to land for the company?"

This was a big concern of mine. Ever since my mom speculated that my dad cheated on her, I was always worried it would happen to me. Gareth walked closer, his serious yet seductive gaze making my heart skip a beat.

" _You're_ the knockout, don't sell yourself so short, beautiful. It won't happen again, I can guarantee that right here and now. It was only convenient those two times when I happened to be single, but that was it. I wouldn't cheat on somebody, ever, especially after it's been done to me. I don't want Genevieve, I want you. I've wanted you since Rick showed me your picture. _This_ doesn't lie."

He hastily placed my hand on his crotch before grabbing me by the waist and slamming his lips down on mine. I let out a surprised squeal into his mouth, this was the roughest kiss we've probably ever had, but I was instantly turned on. I was turned on by the fiery boldness of his actions, and knowing that I was the one made me even hotter. Call me a complete narcissist, but it's the truth. Woodbury's Wonder Boy wanted **_ME_** , not the stunning Nicole Kidman lookalike. My hand boldly grabbed his hardened length while the other hand twisted around his tie before pulling back.

"Oh yeah? Then put your money where your dick is and fuck me."

We immediately resumed our heated lip lock, our passions soaring through the roof. Tonight would be the night where all the rules would sail out the window.

**_FORTY-FIVE MINUTES LATER_ **

We burst through the laundry room door from the garage, still ferociously kissing. I was surprised that Gareth didn't get a speeding ticket, he was driving faster than the limit. He turned me around and pushed me up against the wall, his hands traveling down, starting with slipping my shoes off, before gliding them up my dress, kissing my neck and behind my ears.

"Melody, there are no words to suffice how badly I want you, the nights I've fallen asleep to the dreams of ravaging your perfect body, the endless fantasies that have played out in my head. Tonight is ours, tonight is mine to open the door to everything you've ever wanted."

I wrapped my hand around the back of his neck. "Good. I want to see what magic you can perform for me tonight." I pulled him in for a steamy kiss as I started to gyrate my ass against his crotch, smiling to myself at the feel of his hardened cock while I undid his belt with my free hand, throwing it off as I yanked the zipper of his pants before completely kicking them off. Gareth broke the kiss, one hand looped into the side of my panties while his free arm was wrapped around my waist.

"Well, how's this for an opening number?" One rough tug and I could hear the rip of my panties coming clear off my body, causing me to gasp, then turning me around before I had a chance to further react. I attempted to pull him in closer, but he grabbed on to both my wrists with one hand, restraining my arms above my head while his other hand roughly went under my dress as he kissed my neck, all of this made my knees buckle. I didn't want to appear entirely submissive, so I decided to kick it up a notch.

"Wow. If this dress wasn't one of my favorites, I'd ask you to give me an encore and rip it off, too. I love it when you hold my arms over my head, but there's also something insanely hot when I pin you down." I freed my hands from his hold, grabbed him by shirt collar, sending him backwards into the family room as my lips smashed on his, both of us falling back on the couch, my dress riding up as I started slowly grinding on him. Gareth's hands moved to my lower back before smacking me on the ass, one side after the other, and I knew his imprints were fleshing out on my skin, which only left me more aroused. He didn't let me have control for long, he pushed forward, pinning me under him as he shoved my breasts up out of my dress.

"Feeling you overpower and dominate me is so damn hot."

"Oh, yeah? Well, I've got a surprise for you, my little sex kitten." Gareth had that smirk on his face-the one I've become so used to whenever he was aroused or being a smartass that I found both sexy and adorable- as he took his jacket off and turned around, pulling something out of his pocket. When he faced me again, I smiled.

"Let me see, let me see!"

He chuckled, loosening his tie and leaning over me as I looked inside his mouth to see the metallic blue metal bar on his tongue. "You like it?"

"Duh! Come here, I wanna see what it's like to kiss with that in." I put my hands on Gareth's face and kissed him, I nearly lost it when I felt the piercing tickle my own tongue that I couldn't help but giggle. "Oh, my gosh! Wow, it's like my senses of feel and touch are totally heightened." I said in between kisses, wrapping my legs tightly around his waist to pull him in closer as he started playing with my exposed breasts. This was unlike anything I've ever felt before or could even imagine, only in my wildest fantasies alone with The Rabbit.

"Yeah? Wait until you feel it in other places…" Gareth once again had that smirk on his face, this time fueled by lust as he lowered his head on my chest, pressing my boobs together. I let out a light gasp when the barbell began to flick against my nipples, back and forth pendulum style, turning them into stiffened buds as he alternated between sucking and nibbling, his hands massaging my skin. It left me to the point of breathless, I never knew I could be this turned on.

"Oh, Gareth, that feels unbelievable. Don't stop. Please, don't stop." I whimpered, pulling Gareth up closer to me for another heated make-out, his hands now caressing my face, running through my hair while I undid his tie and threw it on the floor. The level of attraction I was feeling for this man was incredible, he was everything that I wanted whenever I'd get lost reading Jackie Collins and Danielle Steele books on lonely, dateless nights. I was so delirious with lust that I ripped his shirt open, the buttons flying everywhere. My hands flew to my mouth in shock.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to, I-"

All he did was chuckle and kiss me on the cheek. "You think I'm freaked out over a shirt? It's no big deal, I'll buy another one. In this case, the less clothing the better." Gareth winked before completely removing his shirt. It was too dark for me to fully make out his upper body, but he appeared to be in pretty great shape as I ran my hands up his stomach and arms. As he laid on top of me again, kissing my breasts once more, Gareth didn't feel at all like Randall, who was a scraggly bag of bones. His embrace was warm and relaxing, I always felt at home in his arms, away from the world of all my problems. I felt my heart stop as Gareth made his way lower. I hadn't had the best experiences when it came to receiving oral sex, but I had to remind myself to be open in order to grow sexually.

Gareth stood up, moving my lower body over the arm of the couch and getting on his knees. He placed a long kiss on my flower before moving his tongue slowly around my lower lips. The barbell had me both moaning and giggling, I'm exceptionally ticklish. He stopped what he was doing, laying a kiss on each of my tattoos.

"Relax, baby. You trust me, right?"

"Uh huh." I nodded.

"Good, then don't be nervous, because I'm about to make you feel so good." Gareth smiled up at me, latching his mouth on my sex once more. I bit my lip to restrain the giggles so hard that I thought I tasted blood as the barbell began vibrating, teasing my clit lovingly.

"AHHH! It vibrates?!" I let out a loud gasp when his tongue fully entered me, the vibrations causing my body to squirm in a wave like fashion. His fingers joined the pleasuring collaboration with his tongue, the speeds accelerating and lessening. Every time I moaned, the pace would decrease, only for a second before going faster than ever. My legs were almost flailing before they finally wrapped around Gareth's head.

"Wow, it's never been done like this before."

"Mmm, Melody. You taste amazingly delicious. I could do this forever." He mumbled, not even the compliment stopped him from trying to get me off as he sucked my clitoris concurrently with his tongue and fingers still inside me.

I was surprised how Gareth was so finely tuned with my body, that he knew what would turn me on. With every lick and touch I became more and more erotically sensitive, and it was feeling extremely invigorating as my moans and movements increased in uncontrollability, my body breaking out in a cool sweat. A wonderfully warm sensation spread throughout me, ready to escape from my limbs, it almost felt like pins and needles. I knew it was finally happening exactly how it was supposed to, throwing my head back to clinch this newfound feeling. Everything and everybody else was irrelevant, and I couldn't wait for what was about to follow.

"Oh, my god! Gareth, I'm-"

**_"DA-DDY!"_ **

**_WOW! DID ANYBODY SEE THIS COMING?!_ **


	16. Divulge, Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gareth and Melody both reveal secrets to each other. Gareth's is that he has a three year old daughter named Autumn Montana, while hers include a broken engagement, her affair with Shane, kissing Rick, being The Governor's daughter and having body guards. Melody leaves his house and confronts Rick and Lori about why they didn't tell her about Autumn Montana before breaking down. Two days later, Melody has a revelation in her therapy session with Dr. Milton Mamet.

**Hi everybody! Today is my birthday! I'd also like to give a birthday shoutout to Prettyprincess45, whose birthday was yesterday! Happy Birthday, girl! :)**

**If you were surprised by the last chapter, hold on, because there's plenty more in store. Allen, Donna (who is briefly mentioned in Chapter Five), and Ben were the family that were with Tyreese and Sasha in Season 3 when they first got to the prison. We all remember Milton, the pushover right hand man of The Governor! Like I've said before, I plan on incorporating every single character from the franchise!**

**I wanna give a special shout out to my beta reader texasbelle91, as well as Chloe3, DarylDixon'sgirl1985, Headwalkerz, He-Who-Shall-Live, Hey01ig, Lego Kid At Heart, Prettyprincess45, and SilverSun09. Please check out their stories, because they are freaking awesome!**

**_Chapter Sixteen: Divulge, Part Two_ **

**_GARETH_ **

" ** _DA-DDY!"_**

I froze, the timing on this could _not_ have been worse. Not only had Melody been on the verge of having her first mind blowing orgasm, as was I from her delicious taste, but now things were going to be incredibly awkward. Looking up from my position on the floor, I saw Melody immediately covering her breasts and giving me a confused, almost startled look as I rose to my feet.

"Hold on, I'll be right back. Don't go, please, Melody. Give me five minutes, I'll explain everything when I come back." I was begging her to stay when I knew she was going to leave, I also knew it was probably the end of our relationship. She didn't say a word and the look on her face stayed the same, she just fixed her dress as I went up the stairs. My moms were right, because this was already biting me in the ass.

**_A FEW MINUTES LATER_ **

"Autumn, what's the matter?" I asked as I opened the door, looking around the large lavender room adorned with wall decals of Disney Princesses, as well as holding a deluxe Barbie dream house, a pink vanity, and tons of toys. It had taken a few minutes longer to get here since I had to clean myself up and get dressed. Even though she was still too young to acknowledge such an intimate act, I couldn't go into my daughter's room reeking of foreplay.

"Daddy!" Autumn Montana was hiding under the covers with a flashlight, I was pretty much talking to a balled up comforter. I couldn't help but silently chuckle as I walked over and crouched down, lifting the blankets to see her tiny form barricaded by a dozen stuffed animals as she lay sideways on her stomach, clutching her pet mini pig Violet to her chest.

"Daddy's here, sweetheart. What happened? Did you have a bad dream?"

"Thank goodness you're finally here, Daddy! There's monsters under the bed! And in the closet! And the ceiling! Hurry, you have to call the exterminator and get rid of them! Call Ghostbusters! They're not afraid!"

I had to bite my tongue to prevent myself from busting up laughing. At three and a half years old, Autumn Montana was already a little ham, she also had a tendency to be a bit mellow dramatic, the latter being exactly like her mother. The only other thing she had of Theresa's were her light green eyes, she looked exactly like I did as a child, and even now my mom says she makes some of the same faces.

"Honey, there aren't monsters anywhere in your room."

"Yes, they are! I heard them planning to take over! I know this because I know this!" The motion detector for the doors went off and she let out a yelp before diving back under the covers again. "See! They're coming already! I'm a-scared!"

"No, cupcake, they aren't. That was just the motion detector. I already checked your room for monsters before I left, remember?" I felt my heart sink, knowing that Melody had just walked out of my life, probably for good. Why hadn't I told her in the beginning? It would have been better that way.

"That was during the day, that doesn't count, they're sleeping! Monsters only come out at night, and bedbugs! And ghosts and vampires! Aunt Lizzie told me so."

"Ok, fine. You don't believe me? Alright, I'll do it again. Flashlight." I reached out my hand, retrieving the flashlight, before "searching" under the bed. Out of the five of us, Lizzie and I were the only ones not afraid of monsters under the bed. Apparently, we had both been looking for them to play with, not hiding from them. I also made a mental note to have a discussion with Lizzie about what was appropriate to talk about with her niece. "Oh, monsters. Come out, come out wherever you are." I then shined the flashlight up at the ceiling, walking to the closet. "It's Autumn Montana's dad, and I won't allow for any monsters to bother her or Violet."

"Except Mike and Sully!" Autumn Montana said from under the covers.

"Except Mike and Sully, those are the only ones." I closed her closet doors. "It's official, AM. Your room has once again been cleared of monsters."

"Are you sure?"

I nodded, even though she couldn't see me as I walked over, setting the flashlight back on the nightstand and crouched down once again. "Yes, I'm 100% positive."

Autumn Montana popped out from under the covers, sending her stuffed animals flying to the floor, grinning from ear to ear. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! You're the bestest daddy ever!" She wrapped her little arms around my neck and gave me a big kiss on the cheek as I held her tightly.

"I'll do anything for you, you're my baby girl." I pulled back, looking at her eyes and smoothing her light brown hair behind her ears. "But you know that even if the monsters were real, which they aren't, you're bigger and stronger than them, right?"

Autumn Montana nodded as she sat down on her bed. "Yeah, I guess I just forgot."

"That's ok, we all forget things sometimes, but it's why we have people to remind us how strong we are when we're down. And you," I picked up Violet, who was lightly snorting. "Violet, you're supposed to guard Autumn Montana, at least that's what I would think her best friend would do." All she did was sniff my face and squeal, which made Autumn Montana giggle.

"She was a-scared, too. Can we please sleep in your bed tonight, Daddy? We'll feel better knowing we're protected. Pretty, pretty please?" She looked up with puppy dog eyes, which made me snicker a little.

"Yes, you can, you don't have to do the Puss-in-Boots face." I bent down, picking her up. "You have Pipper with you?" Pipper was the purple and white Beanie Boo I had bought for Autumn Montana at the hospital when she was born. Owls are symbolic with fall and they both have the same green eyes. Like Violet, she was rarely seen without Pipper.

"Yes." She nodded, wrapping her legs around me and her arm around my neck as she held on to Pipper.

"Good. Come on, Piglet." I whistled, watching her hop out of the room and trot down the hall next to me.

A mini pig might be an odd choice for some, but Violet was actually a fantastic pet. She was intelligent, obedient, patient, and housebroken, not to mention affectionate. I bought Violet for Autumn Montana after I moved in at The Moms' house to make her feel better about the breakup and the two houses, and they bonded immediately. "Piglet" as I nicknamed Violet, followed Autumn Montana around everywhere, it was very sweet. The books say not to spoil your child, but I couldn't help it. She's definitely Daddy's Little Princess and has me wrapped around her finger, but she does have a good head on her shoulders, she even decided to donate her old toys at the end of every month to the Salvation Army, just like me.

"You good, pumpkin?" I tucked Autumn Montana and Pipper into my California King, with Violet jumping up and curling into a ball behind her head.

"Uh huh. Aren't you coming in, Daddy?"

I shook my head. "Not yet, there's some things I have to take care of downstairs, but I'll be back shortly. Here," I left and went into her room again, coming back with a plaster music figurine of The Genie from _Aladdin_. I started winding it up. "Genie will keep you guys company and help you get to sleep." I set Genie down as it started playing an instrumental music box version of "Friend Like Me".

Autumn Montana smiled and nodded with a yawn. "Ok, Daddy." She snuggled up to Pipper, her head sinking into the pillow. "I'll see you in a while."

"Alright. I love you, baby girl, more than anything in the whole wide world."

"I love you, too. Night, Daddy." With one final yawn, she was out in a snap.

Genie always came in handy whenever we needed to get her back to sleep. When Robin Williams committed suicide over two months ago, Alex told me that I would make a fortune if I sold it online, but I would never. It was too sacred, not only to Autumn Montana, but to me as well. Dale had made it for her when she was born, it was a side hobby of his, making musical figurines, and it was the last one he made before passing away right after my art school graduation last year from diabetes. He was pretty much the father I never had, I really missed him, and he absolutely adored Autumn Montana.

There would never be a love that could ever come close to the one I have for Autumn Montana. I like to think that it started when I first found out I was going to be a father. Theresa had wanted to put the baby up for adoption, but I talked her out of it, promising to take care of the two of them. This was during a time when I thought she was my true love and that we'd spend the rest of our lives together, I was excited to start our family early, even though we were both starving artists. I actually cried the first time I held her, she was the most beautiful baby I had ever seen, and I wasn't just saying that because she's my daughter.

When I caught Theresa cheating on me, it had only been two days before Autumn's third birthday. Even though we were both furious at each other, we agreed not to make any sudden changes until after her birthday, and I spent my time securing the best child custody lawyer. At the moment, we were sharing child custody because the judge thought that a toddler shouldn't be entirely separated from her mother and I was always working, despite having a flexible schedule, so Theresa and I alternate weekly.

I walked down to see Melody by the staircase, and I was rather surprised that she hadn't left. "You're still here? I thought you left, I heard the motion detector go off."

She nodded. "Yes, I'm still here, I had to get my purse out of your car. "Daddy"? How'd that happen?"

"Well, when two people get together and make a baby, the female is the mother and the male is the father. Although, now there can be two daddies or two mommies thanks to the increase of homosexual couples adopting and/or using surrogates, like my moms did with Lizzie and Mika."

I could see she was trying not to laugh. "No, not that. I mean... How... When..."

"Oh, you mean _THAT_."

"Yeah."

I scratched the back of my head, chuckling nervously. "Well... What's there to say, really? I didn't use a condom, she wanted to give it up but I talked her out of it, and that's how Autumn was born."

"Your daughter is named Autumn?"

I nodded. "Autumn Montana."

"Mmhmm, and why aren't you with the baby mama? I'm guessing it's Theresa?"

"I already told you, Theresa is a deceptive, immature, slutty 25 year old bitch that's trying to bleed me dry. It was a mistake ever being with her. I thought it was love, but sadly I was blinded, I'm glad I found out before taking the plunge. Autumn Montana was the best part that came out of it."

"So you have a daughter?"

"Yeah, I have a three and a half year old daughter, she'll be four in January. What's so hard to understand?" I knew right then my last statement had been the absolute WRONG thing to say. Why was I acting so nonchalant, am I that much of a moron?

Melody shrugged, fully annoyed. "Nothing, just amazed how it failed to come up in conversation or how Rick failed to mention it. When were you going to tell me? Scratch the when, _WERE_ you going to tell me?"

"Yes, of course I was. Tonight, actually."

"But not until getting in my pants first, right?"

I scrunched my eyebrows up in confusion "What? No!"

"You say that yet you had your head buried between my legs not even ten minutes ago." She turned on her heel and walked out the front door. I followed her out to the sidewalk.

"Melody, wait."

"What should I wait for?" She finally turned around, throwing her arm up in the air. "You've slept with two clients to land accounts and you have a child, what the hell else could you possibly have to tell me?!" Her voice got louder, and I could hear a couple of dogs barking in the distance. "Are you sure you're not a cannibal? Maybe you're really gay, or maybe you're still with Theresa and you're just fooling around with me on the side. Which one is it, huh?!"

"Keep your voice down, I don't want to hear it from the neighbors." I grumbled, walking up closer to her, but she didn't stand down, the grimace on her face still fully intact. "I'm not a cannibal or gay or with Theresa. Again, the only woman I'm with is you. What I did, although thoughtless and stupid, it wasn't intentional. Yes, I should have told you up front and I'm sorry I didn't sooner. It's just that you're the first person that I started dating since I called off my engagement. I didn't want to spook you, we're both vulnerable. That and since Autumn Montana is so young, she would get easily attached and I didn't want to introduce you until I knew we were a sure thing."

"See, that's not a problem. Everything you just said, I would have been totally fine with. I don't understand why you didn't tell me sooner, Gareth. I thought we had trust."

"We _do_ have trust. That was what I had to discuss with you tonight. I regret not telling you sooner, you deserve to know. My moms said this was going to eventually bite me in the ass and it is. Besides, you said you had some things you wanted to get off your chest also, what could it possibly be? My cat's out of the bag, what's yours?"

I noticed that Melody had actually calmed down some, but I was worried she was going to explode again. To be perfectly honest, I wouldn't blame her, but I was curious on what she was hiding. It was time to get to the bottom of things, but all she did was scoff.

"Like you deserve to know, and before you ask, it isn't a child. It's much heavier than that, but I had actual reasons for hiding them."

I raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh, yeah? Try me."

**_MELODY_ **

I was trying everything to keep calm, it wouldn't be the first time that I've woken up the neighborhood with my screaming, but I was even more pissed off now than I was earlier. A child?! Who hides that for over a month?! And now _he's_ putting _me_ on the spot?! That's some nerve right there. Although, I had waited long enough with what I hid.

"I don't even know where to start, Gareth."

"Whatever's easiest."

There was so much to tell him, I might as well get it over with already. With a deep breath, I began. "For starters, I was engaged two years ago, to the son of my dad's work associate."

Allen Morrissey and my father had been friends since their fraternity days back at Yale University, and they've continued being friends for the past thirty years. The two of them always planned for me to marry Ben, his and his wife Donna's oldest son, so Woodbury and Alexandria Public Relations, Allen's P.R. firm, could merge into one business. Ben and I pretty much grew up together and started dating once I dumped Randall for good. He was a nice boyfriend for the most part, but there was no spark or passion. It was exactly what our fathers and his mother wanted, an arranged engagement. My mom tried to be friends with Donna, but she always thought my mom was beneath her for some reason. Apparently, she's become very good friends with Lily since working at Sanctuary as an esthetician. Ben also had a tendency to be full of himself for being a cross country all star for his high school and scoring a scholarship to Yale, and that was a trait of his that drove me bonkers. He wasn't as smart as he thought he was, I know that he only got in because of his father.

"I didn't tell you because I was embarrassed that at nineteen I already had a broken engagement. Even though it was a mutual decision and we're still cordial, it's one of the reasons why my dad is so detached from me, he thinks it's my fault. If only he knew that his precious Bennie couldn't even get his jet fired up."

Gareth and I shared an awkward laugh, which I was fortunate to have a brief moment of levity, because it was about to go to hell in a minute.

"Alright, that's fine. Is that the worst possible thing you have to tell me?"

I shook my head, swallowing the lump in my throat. "No, I wish it was, but it's not. I had a brief affair with Shane." My heart sank to the pit of my stomach watching his eyes widen and his mouth fly open as he started stammering.

"Sh-Shane Walsh? My boss?"

I nodded in shame. "Yes. It was when I moved in with Rick and Lori back in June, three months after Aiden died. He took me to get some pot and came on to me. I didn't stop him, I didn't say anything, so it wasn't rape, but I was stupid enough to keep caring it on. He took advantage of me, Gareth, and I shouldn't have let him. Finally, a month later, I was able to stand up for myself and break things off, but it wasn't easy. You know that scar on his neck? That's from me." I was doing everything in my power not to start crying, I had cried when I told Maggie, Beth, and Tara, and I had cried when I told my therapist. Gareth was still flabbergasted.

"Does Rick know? It's his best friend."

"Neither Rick or Lori know. Shane keeps harassing me, and he actually cornered me today at Woodbury. I keep threatening to tell them, but he won't let up. I plan on it after the baby is born, but there's something else I have to tell Lori, also. I kissed Rick five days before we met."

If Gareth was shocked before, he really was now. "You made out with your brother in law? Your sister's husband?! Are you serious?! Why?"

"It was a moment of weakness, I haven't exactly been in the right mind frame since losing who I thought was going to be the love of my life. I'd go from being practically catatonic to almost psychotic. No, I'm not bipolar, I was just in the rut from hell, but things have gotten better for me. There's really no excuse to what I did, and I know karma is going to come around tenfold. I love my sister with my whole life, and I am terrified that I'll lose her because of one stupid mistake. If that happened, I don't know what I'd do." I took a shaky breath, noticing that Gareth was walking closer. "I don't want you to feel sorry for me, I don't even feel sorry for myself. This is all my fault."

He stood in front of me but didn't do anything. "It takes a big person to own up to their mistakes, and you clearly have. The fact that you feel so guilty means that your remorse is and will be authentic. So that's it? You were engaged to a flaccid jerk, you slept with my boss and made out with my other boss?"

I shook my head again. "No, it's not. There's something else you don't know about me that I've been holding back since we met." With a deep breath, I knew it was time to come clean. "My birth name isn't Melody Silverstone. It's Melody Jasmine _Blake_."

I watched his eyes widen once again and he took a couple steps back, his voice trailing off as he spoke. "Blake as in..."

"Yep. Phillip Blake is my father. I'm The Governor's oldest daughter."

"So at the party when Beth cut Noah off with that commercial, it was about your dad?"

"Yes. That's not the only thing." Sighing heavily, I sucked up my embarrassment as I started whistling the theme of "Steamboat Willie", with Gareth giving me a strange look. Within a matter of seconds after hearing their signal, Abraham and Eugene popped out from the shadows across the street, their wardrobe almost camouflaging with the dark black night. "Hey, guys."

They nodded at me, their hands clasped in the front. "Good evening, Miss Blake."

"Melody, who are they?"

"They're my body guards, and they've been following us on every single one of our dates."

His mouth was slightly agape and I could tell Gareth was annoyed. " _I_ thought there was trust between us. The broken engagement and bonking my boss I could see past, I know you wouldn't go back to Shane or kiss Rick again, but why would you hold back something so serious? Why didn't you tell me I'm dating the founder's daughter of the company I work for?"

"Would you have treated me any differently if I did?"

"No, not at all."

"There's a reason I don't like to talk about it. My father may be an outstanding businessman and politician, but he is not a good father, at least not to me. To him, I'm the square peg that can't be forced into the round hole, why try to fit in when you're born to stand out. The Governor of California is unable to accept that I can't be forced to what he wants, and he wants nothing to do with me because of it. There are days where I even doubt he truly loves me. I didn't want to make a spectacle of myself, it's why I only go by Blake when I need to."

"Oh yeah? Like when?"

I couldn't tell if he was mocking me or not. "Things happen where I have to use it, like insurance or school. That's irrelevant, I didn't completely leave out the fact that I co-created a human being."

"I know, and I'm kicking myself for it. Just come back inside and we can discuss this. Send your bodyguards away, spend the night and I'll drive you home on my way to work." Gareth walked forward again, reaching his hand out to me, but I shook my head.

"No, Gareth, I can't. I may seem composed right now, but I am freaking out on the inside it's not even funny. My head is actually spinning, I can't even look at you."

"Melody, things come out at unexpected moments. Sometimes it causes arguments, but they can be worked out."

His willingness to work this out made my frustrations bubble to the surface. If it were only my issues, I'd be willing, but I can't just accept that he hid something so serious from me. "It's not that simple! We both need some time to process everything here. I like you a lot, but I'm so mad at you! You fucked up here so badly, I don't even know if I can talk to you again. So _please_ , do me a favor and don't do a damn thing. Don't call, don't text, don't do anything. I don't even know." I was running out of things to say, officially sounding like a moron since I was so discombobulated, which meant it was time to leave. "Abraham, Eugene, let's go!" I walked off into the night as they got their blacked out Cadillac town car started.

"Melody, wait! Please, come back! I'm sorry!"

Once I was inside and the car drove off down the street, I finally let my tears fall.

**_A HALF HOUR LATER_ **

After sending Abraham and Eugene home, I stormed into the house, not knowing whether to cry or scream. Kicking my shoes off, I marched up the stairs, not even bothering to change my clothes, I was on a mission to find out from the one- no, two people- that should have informed me about this information, if not from Gareth himself.

Both Rick and Lori were heavy sleepers, they didn't hear the automated alarm system when I opened the front door, nor did they stir when I barged into their room. Without even properly thinking, I crawled up on the bed and straddled Rick.

"Rick. Rick. Rick, wake up." I started lightly slapping his face, which started working a little, but I need both of them to hear this.

" ** _RICK! LORI! WAKE UP!"_**

That seemed to work, because Lori woke up and gasped, which is when I moved to the center of their bed, realizing that I was in Rick's lap. Luckily, the lights weren't turned on until I had moved.

"What's going on?! Where's Carl? Is it Mom? Grams? Grandma Jun-Jun? Who died?!" Lori put her hand on her chest, trying to catch her breath.

"Nobody died, everybody's fine. Do you two love me?"

Lori scrunched up her eyebrows, flabbergasted. "Melody, how could you even ask that?"

Rick cleared his throat, which was when I noticed he was staring at my dress. "Of course we love you."

"Then _why_ didn't you tell me that Gareth has a child?!"

**_LORI_ **

"What?" I sat up, fully alert. "He has a child?! Since when?"

"Since we were about to get it on and I heard somebody shout "DA-DDY!" For a second, I thought it was Alex's kid, but then Gareth left. Her name is Autumn Montana, she's three and a half years old."

I turned to Rick, completely in shock. Gareth Mandel seemed like the most unlikely person to have a child already, but what concerned me is that my husband hadn't said a word. "Why didn't you say anything to either one us?"

He heavily sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Honestly? It was his place to tell, not mine. I'm the only one at Woodbury that knows and I think Martin. He wanted it kept on the down low because he thought that it would hinder his workload."

"Hinder it how?" Melody asked with air quotes.

"It's different with me since I run the place, but Shane would deliberately not send Gareth out of the country to meet with clients knowing he had a kid just to screw with him, and he's worked too hard to let that happen."

I could see why Rick hadn't said anything. He wanted to give Gareth the best chance to make the most of himself, and it should have been Gareth to break the news, not Rick. "Melody, why didn't you look on his Facebook or Instagram?"

She groaned and rolled her eyes before flailing her hands everywhere as she spoke. "I know, I know, I should have, but I didn't. I didn't want to psych myself out and jump to assumptions based on pictures. I wanted a fresh start with this one, look at the moronic jackasses I've been with! One's a dimwitted moron, the other has a premature ejaculation problem! Why, _why_ can't anything ever go right for me?!" Melody's voice began to crack as she spoke, and I could feel my heart breaking. "I finally told him about Ben and my dad, his reaction ranged from accepting to shocked, almost slightly annoyed. He definitely didn't freak out over my news like I did over his. All I want is what you two have, everlasting love, and I've fallen for Gareth. I've fallen for him really hard, but right now I am just so mad at him!" She had held back long enough and allowed her flood-gates to open as she bowed her head and started crying.

"Awww, honey." I did what my maternal instincts told me, what I knew our own mom would do. I pulled my baby sister in for a hug, wrapping my arms around her as she sobbed into our pillow and I stroked her hair. It had been a while since I had seen her so upset, and in a way, I felt partially responsible since I had been so adamant on fixing the two of them up.

"Why did I have to find out this way? I don't even know if it's the news itself or the fact that he didn't tell me sooner." Melody continued crying, returning the hug as Rick rubbed her shoulder.

"It's ok, Melody. Let it out."

We sat there with her as she cried until she wore herself out and fell asleep, her dreams now stained with tears of frustration and agony.

**_FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24TH, TARZANA, 2:00 PM_ **

**_MELODY_ **

"And that's the whole story." I heavily sighed, laying back on the chaise lounge as I watched Dr. Milton Mamet quickly writing everything down in his notebook before intently re-reading it. "Oh, and I'd appreciate it if we kept this between us. If my dad found out, it would open up a can of worms that I don't need to deal with right now."

Lori said I had cried myself to sleep, which explained why I woke up in her and Rick's bed yesterday morning with my dress on. Of course, Gareth didn't listen, leaving me two texts and a voicemail to see if I was ok, which left me tempted to block his number until I was ready to speak. My friends were all kind of in shock but thought that I shouldn't write him off entirely. Beth especially thought that I should give him another chance. I was too embarrassed to tell my mom and I couldn't eat. Luckily, Milton had a cancellation, so I was able to get an appointment in last minute.

"Melody, whatever is discussed in this office is never repeated unless you're a danger to yourself or others. Patient-doctor confidentiality." Milton adjusted his glasses, which was a tell for whenever he was nervous or studious. He was kind of dweeby looking with a longish nose, front teeth similar to a mole rat, and beady eyes. Even though he's pretty timid, I think he's nice, I just don't know if I can trust him. After all, he was referred by my father.

"Ha. Dr. Milton, you obviously don't know my father. He's ruthless, he'd probably beat you up and strap you to a chair to get you to spill my secrets." I scoffed, rolling my eyes up. "Who am I kidding? He let me be jobless and homeless, he clearly doesn't give a shit. My dad isn't my problem right now."

"I understand, and I wish that you would feel more comfortable in this environment. Therapy is supposed to be beneficial, not detrimental. What I've observed in my notes of our sessions is you have a tendency to be indecisive, which you're doing right now with Gareth. Had you found out the news differently about his daughter, how do you think you would have reacted?"

"Honestly? I don't think I would have reacted as strongly as I did, I think it was all in the heat of the moment. Do you agree with his reasoning as to why he didn't tell me?"

Milton put his notebook down and his hands in his lap. "Well, it's not really my place to say, but I think it's clearly obvious that he cares a great deal about you. From what you've told me, he doesn't sound manipulative or calculating like your last relationship with Shane was. Perhaps the way Gareth went about it was a little unethical, but I think it was only done to make sure your relationship was in a comfortable place before taking things further. Essentially, you did the same thing as well by not telling him sooner about your father and the other men in your past. You two became better acquainted and gained trust, which is why you felt ready to disclose those parts of your life with him. Gareth may not be perfect, but it seems that he has been very tolerant and understanding, which hasn't been the case with the other men you've dated. From what you've told me, this is the healthiest relationship that you've been in in a long time and I've noticed a change in you this past month. You've been much happier and willing to open up."

I took a minute to absorb Milton's words and realized he was right. That had been the reason why I waited to tell Gareth my secrets, because I need to get to know him better, and know that I can trust him. He obviously did the same thing with me, and had things been different, I wouldn't have been as angry. Now that I told the story, I actually felt a lot better and saw things more visibly.

"You're right, Dr. Milton. The timing was just wrong, I was still steamed from that interaction with Genevieve, and it caused me to lash out irrationally at him. Same on his end, also. We both said things we shouldn't have. I think I know what I need to do."

"I can tell. Start slow, make a plan to meet up and talk things out, but be sure to let him know that you aren't ready to call it quits just yet."

I smiled thinking about Gareth. "I'm not. He really is one of the best guys I've ever met, and we all make blunders. Even me. So, same time next week?"

**_Reviews are encouraged, it would be the best birthday present ever! Please read and follow and spread the word! NO FLAMES! :)_ **


	17. New Ground

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Melody arrives at Gareth's house, where they both make amends to each other. Gareth introduces Melody to his three year daughter Autumn Montana and invites Melody to spend the day with them. Melody stakes her claim on Gareth while Autumn Montana embraces her father having a girlfriend. Following the Giants beating the Royals 4-11 in Game 4 of the World Series, Gareth asks Melody to stay the night, which she accepts.

**Hi everybody! Thank you for all the birthday wishes! I had a very nice birthday indeed :)**

**I've posted a picture of Autumn Montana on the Walking Dead FanFiction site, just look up _Stubborn Love_ , but the dossier is Giavanna Lyerly, who was on _Toddlers and Tiaras_ a couple times. Her and her twin sister Alescyandra are known as the "Tiara Twins" and are big in the child modeling scene.**

**Clementine is from _The Walking Dead_ TellTale video game, as is her mother Diana. Alice and Gloria are amongst the Woodbury Survivors, and Denise is from the Alexandria Safe-Zone Community. All three of them are from the comics, but Gloria is the only one that is supposedly still alive.**

**I wanna give a special shout out to my beta reader texasbelle91, as well as Chloe3, DarylDixon'sgirl1985, Headwalkerz, He-Who-Shall-Live, Hey01ig, Lego Kid At Heart, Prettyprincess45, and SilverSun09. Please check out their stories, because they are freaking awesome!**

**_Chapter Seventeen: New Ground_ **

**_ENCINO, SATURDAY, 10:20 am_ **

**_MELODY_ **

Pulling up and parking in front of Gareth's house, I was feeling a little on edge. I never did return his voicemail or text, so I was taking a huge leap of faith by just showing up, I didn't even know if he was home, but I had to try. Not only that, but the Giants had lost Game 3 of the World Series last night, with the Royals now leading 2-1. My bad juju must have been affecting the game somehow, and if I didn't make a change, we could just kiss this World Series good bye. With a deep breath, I got out of the car with a _Frozen_ bag in my hand. I had decided to get Gareth an "I'm sorry I was such a bitch" present, Beth had helped me come up with the idea. When I got to the front door, my nerves got the best of me again.

"No, I can't do this. He's probably not home." I shook my head and turned around, halfway to my car when I turned back again. "Yes, you can do this. You'll be fine, you miss him." Except when I got to the front door, I once again turned around. "No, I'll just call him." This little song and dance continued for probably about five minutes until I decided to leave for good, my indecisiveness winning. I was almost to the mailbox when somebody called out to me.

"Melody?"

I glanced over my shoulder to see Gareth standing on the front porch, I hadn't even heard the door. He looked so cute in his jeans, Nirvana T-shirt, black zip up hoodie, and black and white low top Chuck Taylors, definitely cruising the hipster meets rocker look.

"Gareth? Whoa!" I turned around a little too quickly and slipped on my espadrilles, completely wiping out on the walkway.

"Melody!" Gareth came running over as I sat up.

"Ow! My ass!"

"Are you ok?" He knelt down, putting his hand on the back of my head to sit me up. His eyes were filled with concern, wearing the cologne I hadn't smelled in two days, which was when I realized how much I really missed him.

"Yeah, I think I'm fine." I couldn't hold back anymore, I leaned in and pressed my lips to his as hard as I could before pulling away just as quickly. Gareth stared back at me, appearing to be puzzled.

"Are you sure you're ok? That was a pretty wicked fall. I saw you pull up about ten minutes ago."

I nodded. "Yes, I'm fine."

He grabbed my hand and helped me to my feet, not letting go. "I'm surprised to see you here. I know you told me not to call or text, but you were so upset when you left and I was concerned. I wanted to make sure you were ok."

"Don't worry about it. I came here to apologize."

"You are? I'm the one that owes you the apology. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you sooner about Autumn Montana. My moms really let me have it, I was being a dumb ass. I'm also sorry if I overreacted about Shane and Rick. It just shocked me, the thought of somebody innocent and pure like you being with such slime like him. I'd never want to do anything to drive you away, baby, and I promise that I'll never do anything like this again. Do you think you could forgive me?"

Gareth looked at me with those brown green eyes, nervously running a hand through his hair. I smiled at him and how genuine he was being. Any other guy would have flipped out, but Gareth actually owned up to his faults.

"I forgive you, and I'm sorry, too. I handled things pretty immaturely and overreacted. Truth be told, I think it was how I found out that made me freak like that, we pretty much had our pants around our ankles and I was embarrassed. I don't have a problem with the fact that you have a child, I think it's really sweet. Also, it's kind of nice to know that you're not something created by Disney or Warner Brothers to market to the world. You know, the perfect Prince Charming?"

"Ha, trust me, I'm nowhere near perfect. Would you like to meet her? Because I'd love to introduce you. We have the house to ourselves today."

I nodded with a smile. "Yes, I would. I brought something for her, actually." I held up the bag. "It's an Elsa doll. I hope she likes _Frozen_?"

"There's one thing you two already have in common, because she loves it."

"Good, and here's an "I'm sorry I was such a bitch to you but I still can't get you out of my head" mix CD." I pulled the CD out of the bag and handed it to him, which he took with a smile. "Noah helped me put it together."

"That's really sweet of you. Thanks, babe." He cocked his head backwards. "Come on in." Once he closed the door, Gareth took my hand in both of his, bringing it to his lips for a gentle kiss as he looked into my eyes. "Gorgeous, I'm so sorry, again. It was wrong of me not to say anything earlier, and to get annoyed about the news of your father."

I put my other hand on his face. "I get it, kind of. I'm sorry, too, that I didn't tell you about my dad or "The Goonies". Abe and Gene are cool guys once you get to know them, and after a while they aren't even noticeable. In regards to my dad, I guess I didn't want to be further scorned, like I shouldn't have all these issues because I'm the daughter of California Governor Phillip David Blake. Honestly, I don't know what I'm afraid of, and I've been thinking about changing my last name to Silverstone-Blake."

"Well, that's good. You should do whatever makes you happy."

" _You_ make me happy."

We smiled at each other as Gareth leaned in and kissed me. It was fantastic being here with him once again, I felt relieved and tranquil.

"And _you_ make _me_ happy, Melody. Hold on, I'll be right back." He walked out of the room. "Hey, kitty cat?"

I stood in the hallway, starting to feel a little nervous. This was completely new to me, dating somebody with a child. Would I be able to handle it like I thought I could?

Gareth walked back in holding Autumn Montana's hand, and I could feel my heart melting. She was a beautiful little girl with light brown hair, green eyes, and a few freckles on her nose, carrying a white and purple stuffed animal.

"Autumn, this is my friend, Melody. Can you say hi?"

I'm not going to lie, my heart dropped a little being referred to as a "friend", but I know it had only been done for Autumn Montana's sake.

"Hi, I'm Autumn Montana Mandel, and this is Pipper. Daddy got her for me when I came out of Mommy's tummy." She held up her stuffed owl and smiled. With the exception of her eyes, she looked exactly like Gareth.

I smiled and crouched to her level. "Hi there, Autumn Montana. It's great to-" I was cut off as she ran up and gave me a big hug, as big of a hug a little person like her could give. With a smile, I returned the hug, pulling back to see her smiling. "It's great to meet you."

"She got this for you, too." Gareth took the _Frozen_ bag off the family room couch and gave it to her. We both smiled as she pulled out the Elsa doll and gasped.

"I love Elsa! Thank you, thank you, and thank you! Elsa is my absolute favorite, next to Belle!" Autumn Montana began jumping up and down, which made my smile broaden.

"You're welcome, sweetie. Elsa is one of my favorite Disney Princesses, too." I was glad that I had gone with this. When I bought the doll, it wasn't done to try to buy her affections, it was done to show Gareth that I had embraced the fact that he had a child.

Autumn Montana started talking my ear off, holding up her fingers with the number of things she had. "I'm three and a half years old, I have two grandmas. My grandmas are Bubbe and Nana. They couldn't find Prince Charming, so they're both princesses. A prince can marry a princess or a prince, and a princess can marry a prince or a princess."

"Wow! I'm impressed." I looked down to see a piglet with its front feet on my knee, sniffing the air and snorting. "Oh! And whose this little cutie pie?"

"Violet, she's my pet pig and best friend."

"Well, hello there, Violet." Smiling, I reached over and pet the adorable piggy, who nestled into my touch.

"Daddy calls her Piglet like in _Winnie The Pooh_."

I looked up at Gareth with a smirk. "You do, huh?"

"Yes. Technically, she _is_ a piglet."

Autumn Montana pouted and put her hands on her hips. "I don't like it, Daddy! You're making her feel insecure about her size!"

I had to bite my tongue so I wouldn't laugh. "I'm sure she knows that it's a friendly nickname. If it makes you feel any better, my own dad calls me piglet."

"Really?" Her face broke out into a big smile.

"Sure does." This was true. Before he turned into a royal douchebag, my father wasn't so bad. He still calls me "pumpkin" when he's in a good mood, but half the time I see him he's just ragging on me. One of these days, I won't be in fear to stand up to him, and he has it coming. Shaking my thoughts away, I stood up and looked at Gareth.

"So, what are you up to today?"

"Well, I'm going to take Autumn to her ballet class, then to Northridge Fashion Center because it's the only place I know with a Build-A-Bear. Do you want to come with us?"

I smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I'd love to. I was actually planning a trip to the mall, these gift cards have been burning a hole in my pocket. Why don't we take my car since it's bigger?"

"Alright, sounds like a plan." He patted Autumn Montana on the back. "Go get ready, squirt. We'll be down here waiting."

"Ok, Daddy!" She ran off upstairs, leaving me alone with Gareth.

"She's precious, ya know that? Like your little Mini-Me."

He nodded. "Absolutely. It's probably why I go above and beyond at Woodbury, so I can make sure she has the best of everything she needs and then some. There's probably not a thing I wouldn't do for my daughter."

The love and dedication flowing from his words touched me, if only my dad was like that… Well, in all fairness, he _is_ to Penny and Meghan, just not to me.

**_TEN MINUTES LATER_ **

"Ok, are we ready?" Gareth asked after securing Autumn Montana into her car seat that he put in my car.

"Yep. Here, why don't you drive?" I threw him my keys.

"Are you sure?"

I smiled and got in. "Of course. I trust you." My Cadillac Escalade, or "Blue Jay Way", as I called it, was my baby next to Simba. We hadn't been together for long, but we bonded immediately, and I don't usually let anybody drive it except my mom and Lori.

"Alright, let's hit it."

As we took off down the block, I turned over my shoulder to look at Autumn Montana, dressed in her ballet leotard, tights, and tutu, her hair up in a bun as she played with Pipper in the car seat. "How are you doing back there, kiddo?"

"Good. Daddy, my iPad isn't in my backpack! You left it at home."

"I'm sorry, pumpkin. You can play with it when we get back, ok?"

I watched from the rear-view mirror as Autumn Montana did what my mom called "Liver Lip", which was pretty much a pout.

"But Da-d-dy! You don't have my playlist in Melody's car!"

"Autumn, you know those songs by heart after listening to them every day. Play them in your imagination, think of Elsa singing "Let It Go", just like in the movie."

I spoke up, trying to save the day. "I have some songs on my phone, I'll play them for you."

She gasped and smiled, I noticed she did that a lot. "Really? Oh boy!" Autumn Montana began clapping her hands excitedly.

Gareth leaned in as I scrolled through my iPhone playlists. "Do you know how many times a day I hear these songs?" He said through gritted teeth, which I couldn't help but laugh over.

"Now I get what my parents went through. Too much of a good thing, huh?"

"Yes and no. I mean, I always want her to be happy, but after a while those songs get to you."

"Again, I understand. I'll go with one everybody loves." I winked at him as I looked up in the rear view mirror at Autumn Montana. "Hey, Autumn Montana, do you like _Despicable Me_?"

Her little face let up once more. "Yeah! I love the mim-nuns! Carl and Kevin and Phil and Jerry!"

"Me too! I have a nephew named Carl, but the minion is much cooler." I winked at Gareth's smirk as the beginning beats of "Happy" by Pharell Williams played in the car, to which Autumn Montana started singing along and bobbing her head, making Pipper dance.

"Nice save there, Supergirl." Gareth grabbed my hand at the stop sign and gripped it.

"Eh, I try."

It had only been twenty or so minutes, but this little girl already had a special place in my heart, just like her wonderful daddy.

**_THIRTY MINUTES LATER, TARZANA_ **

**_GARETH_ **

"Clementine!" Autumn burst through the dance studio doors and into the arms of Clementine, the eight-year-old daughter of Miss Diana, the ballet teacher. Clementine was the last person I'd ever expect to take ballet, she was pretty much a tomboy with unruly hair and always wearing a trucker hat, but she was actually pretty good.

"Hi, Autumn Montana! Ready to go to dance?"

"Yeah!" Autumn turned around and hugged me good-bye. "Bye bye, Daddy! I love you."

"I love you, A.M.. I'll see you in an hour, we'll be upstairs watching. Be good, ok? And pay attention."

She giggled at me. "Daddy, I'm always good and I always pay attention! I'm not Uncle Alex! Bye, Melody!" Autumn Montana hugged Melody. I was really happy that Autumn had warmed up to her so quickly, for she has a tendency to be shy around certain people, like the first time she met Albert. Although, I could see why it was easy with Melody, who was very sweet and nurturing. It made me think of what Lori said the night of our first date, how she was an absolute doll and that everybody fell in love with her. Well, she was right on the money with that statement, and I hoped to tell Melody sooner rather than later.

"Bye, little miss. Have fun!" We watched Autumn grab Clementine's hand and run into the classroom. Melody looked over to see me smirking.

"What? What's so funny?"

I shook my head. "Nothing. It's just that the moms all kind of have the hots for me."

It started over a year ago when Theresa and I first started taking Autumn Montana to the ballet class. The flood gates literally flew off the hinges coming open when they found out we broke up, and that's when the real flirtations began. Since I was a more active parent, I had been involved with doing carpools and what not before my workload at Woodbury picked up, so the other moms had my number.

They started texting me asking if I'd come over and do repairs around their house, which I thought was odd, but I figured it was the least I could do since the moms adored Autumn Montana. Boy, was I in for a surprise. This one mom, Alice Smith, all but threw herself at me, answering the door in her lingerie, begging me to mount her against the fireplace since her husband was having an affair with the maid. I didn't even get to fix whatever she wanted repaired, I bolted out of the house. Sometimes, I'd get provocative pictures, other times they'd just flirt with me even with their husbands standing right there at one of the ballet recitals. It was stressful, but I didn't let it get in the way, I loved watching Autumn Montana practice and perform.

Melody started laughing. "Oh, my god! You have a Mrs. Robinson situation going on?"

I nodded, slightly embarrassed. "Yeah, something like that."

She looked up and put her hand on my face. "I'm sorry, that's kind of funny, but in a way, it's cute. You have nothing to worry about, baby. I'm here." Melody boldly kissed me before grabbing my hand. "Come on, let's go see whose after the guy I'm dating."

I smiled, following Melody and rather liking her newfound confidence. When we arrived upstairs, all the moms stopped talking and looked over at me.

"Hi, Gareth!" They waved and winked one right after the other.

"Hi." I waved politely before sitting down, where I could hear Melody trying not to laugh as we noticed the moms fixing their tops to expose more cleavage. Honestly, I don't know what they were so crazy about, their husbands seemed like they could satisfy them sexually in bed. Maybe it was because I'm the youngest one here? Besides, as far as sex goes, it was Melody I wanted. I swear, after the other night, any time I look at her all I want to do is-

"How sweet of you to bring your sister, Gareth!" Gloria Rossi said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. I was about to speak when to my surprise, Melody cut me off.

"I'm not his sister, I'm his girlfriend." She looked over at them, one eyebrow raised, a "You wanna challenge that?" expression on her face. When the moms started whispering to each other, I noticed Melody's face was bright red as she leaned in and whispered to me.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that, I-"

"No, I actually really liked the sound of it." In fact, I couldn't have been happier. While it was sudden, I loved how forward she had been.

"You did?"

I nodded. "A lot, actually." I kissed her, her blush fading away. Pretty soon, I'd be able to say the words I had wanted to this whole month.

"How long have you been dating for?" Denise Griffin asked.

"A while. I had to do something to repel the cougars from coming after him. I swear, it's like Gareth's a magnet or something. Then again, considering what I've seen when the lights are off and the door is locked, I really can't say I blame them."

We both started snickering as she left the moms speechless, and I really liked how gutsy she was.

**_THREE HOURS LATER_ **

**_MELODY_ **

"I don't think I've ever seen anybody eat a hamburger like that. You continue to amaze me all the time, Melody." Gareth stared at me putting fries in my hamburger, to which I smiled after swallowing a big bite.

"Who said I was normal though?"

He reached over and gripped my hand. "Normal is boring. I'm intrigued, so keep at it."

I smiled, squeezing his hand back. "I will."

So far, this had been an absolutely fabulous day. After leaving ballet class, we took Autumn Montana to the mall as promised, where she had picked out at least twenty Build-A-Bears to stuff, but Gareth told her she could only have four. After debating over them, which included leaving and coming back five times, she finally decided on _My Little Pony_ Princess Celestia, Pretty Petals Bunny, A _Frozen_ Anna Bear, and 40th Anniversary "Herro Kiki".

I've always loved kids, but I loved Autumn Montana from the second I met her. What was better was that it seemed she liked me right away as well. She held my hand the whole time at the mall, dragging me into Build-A-Bear and the Disney Store, as well as smelling the candles and lotions with me at Bath and Body Works while Gareth did his own thing. Autumn Montana was a very smart, loving, and charismatic little girl, any parent would be proud to have her as their daughter, and Gareth was the proudest dad I've ever seen.

He absolutely adored and doted on his daughter, paying attention to her and caring about the things she said. It was such a sweet sight to see and really made me fall for him that much more. A few times, I had been mistaken for Autumn Montana's actual mother, thank goodness she wasn't within earshot. While it had been a little awkward, it left me with a warm feeling, like maybe one day this kind of life was in the cards for me, and maybe it would be with Gareth.

"Hey, Autumn?" Gareth looked over at his little girl. We had stopped at Red Robin to have lunch before heading back to his house for the Giants game.

"Yeah, Daddy?" She asked, not even looking up from her Mickey and Friends coloring book.

"What do you think about Melody being Daddy's girlfriend?"

"GAR-ETH!" I mumbled under my breath through gritted teeth, my eyes widened. Even though I had staked my claim at the ballet class and he said he liked it, the way he asked Autumn Montana now kind of threw me for a loop, it was such a huge question to ask. I braced myself for a temper tantrum.

She looked up, glancing over at both of us before nodding with a big smile on her face. "Yeah!"

"Yeah?" Gareth's smile widened.

"Mmhmm. She's really nice and pretty, she likes _Frozen_ and the Giants. Go for it, Daddy! Then you can double date with Mommy and Sam."

His smile disappeared slightly. "Well, I don't know about that, dolly, but I'm glad that's how you feel. I'd never date somebody you didn't like or weren't comfortable with."

I couldn't help but smile watching the two of them together. It made me think of when my mom and aunt were dating following Mom and Dad's divorce and my uncle's murder. It would be up to Lori, my two cousins, and me, respectively, as to who they'd end up dating. It wasn't always easy, a lot of guys were either jerks or had no personalities, but eventually it all worked out. I wonder if I would accept Mom's new boyfriend as quickly as Autumn Montana accepted me?

"Of course, Daddy. With Melody, you look like how Mickey Mouse does with Minnie Mouse." Autumn Montana grabbed a red crayon and started making two shapes before coloring them in and holding the page up. "Like this!" We both looked at the page and laughingly smiled to see that it was Mickey and Minnie Mouse holding hands, and she had drawn hearts in Mickey's eyes. For three years old, she was very astute.

"You're correct, cupcake brain. That _is_ however I look whenever Melody is around."

Again, I don't think it was possible for me to fall any more in love with Gareth Mandel than I already had.

**_FOUR HOURS LATER_ **

**_GARETH_ **

"Yeah! Go, Pence! Work it, Panda! Run, Blanco, Run, Posey! **_YES! SCORE, SCORE, SCORE! WOO-HOO! WOOT, THERE IT IS! BOOM SHAKALAKA! BOOM SHAKALAKA!_** " I saw Melody jump off my bed and cheer as the Giants scored run after run, gaining the lead at the bottom of the sixth. Her enthusiasm was one of her best qualities, and quite infectious at that, just like her smile.

"Wow, you should get a movement going for the Giants to have cheerleaders. You're perfect for it." I said as I walked back into my room, where we had put the game on while I was giving Autumn Montana her bath and putting her to bed. Before she fell asleep, Autumn told me how she really loved Melody and couldn't wait to see her again soon, which left me overjoyed. Naturally, I had been nervous for when the time would come to introduce my future girlfriend to my little girl, but Melody had really won Autumn Montana over. The things I love about her are truly endless.

Melody looked over with a smirk. "Yeah, I know I come off as ridiculous, but I can't help it. This is totally what we needed. Now _these_ are our San Francisco Giants." We high fived as I laid down on my bed, wrapping my arm around Melody's waist and pulling her in as she curled up to me.

"You're right about that. If they keep it up, they will win it all."

"Of course they will."

**_AN HOUR AND A HALF LATER_ **

"Wow, 4-11, they creamed the Royals tonight!"

"Yes, they did." I turned the TV off. "Now, all they need to do is win tomorrow and Tuesday, we'll be finished."

"That's for sure. I had a really fantastic day with you both, but I should probably get home." Melody got off my bed, but I reached out and wrapped my hand around her wrist, causing her to look back at me.

"There's no need for you to leave. Why don't you sleep over? It's Sunday tomorrow, everybody does their own thing. We can spend the day together and watch the game after Theresa picks Autumn up."

She hesitated. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'd like you to stay with me tonight, I really want you to."

This day couldn't have been more perfect if I had asked for it myself, there wasn't a reason that it should end now.

Melody smiled and nodded. "Alright, I will. I'll just text Lori and tell her I'm staying out. Do you have a shirt I could sleep in? Maybe a toothbrush, also?"

"Yeah, sure." I walked into my closet, smiling to myself and pumping my fist as I grabbed a shirt. "Here, take this."

My dream girl was going to be sleeping in my bed with me tonight, and I couldn't wait for her to fall asleep in my arms, feeling her skin against mine and inhaling the scent of her hair. At this point, who knows where the night would take us?

**_Reviews are encouraged! Please read and follow and spread the word! NO FLAMES! :)_ **


	18. Sparks Fly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gareth and Melody share an incredibly intimate night together. The next morning, after briefly discussing their relationship status and being awoken by Autumn Montana and Violet, Gareth insists that Melody invite Lori, Rick, Carl, and Charlotte over to Mary and Carol's for brunch so their families can meet.

**Hi everybody! What did we think of the midseason premiere?! I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVED IT! It was really cool, but the ending was sad :(. Also, it gives me hope that maybe the rest of this season will improve. I know you've all been waiting since I left it on a cliffhanger in more ways than one, so I'm hoping to have the latest chapter of _Forever Rising Phoenix_ up most likely tomorrow, if not this weekend!**

**I know you've all been waiting for the big moment, and NO, _Fifty Shades of Grey_ was not my inspiring source of erotica (Although, I have become obsessed with "Love Me Like You Do" by Ellie Goulding! Fabulous but doesn't fit the movie in my opinion). If you want REAL romance and erotica, check out any Jackie Collins or Danielle Steele books. Both ladies are huge role models and inspirations to my writing! :) This chapter is supposed to be an eye opener in regards to Melody's confidence, I think a lot of girls feel like this and can doubt themselves at times but at other times are more self-assured.**

**No new _Walking Dead_ characters this time around (I forgot to mention that Autumn Montana's pig is Violet, the pig at the prison in Season 4, Episode 1 "30 Days Without An Accident"), but there is a cameo mention of Lana and her son Hunter, who are the original characters from my good friend Hey01ig's _Walking Dead_ story _Counting Lost Days_. Be on the look out for OC cameos from other stories as well! :)**

**I wanna give a special shout out to my beta reader texasbelle91, as well as Chloe Cannon 3, DarylDixon'sgirl1985, Headwalkerz, He-Who-Shall-Live, Hey01ig, Lego Kid At Heart, Prettyprincess45, and SilverSun09. Please check out their stories, because they are freaking awesome!**

**_DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NOR HAVE ANY AFFILIATIONS WITH THE WALKING DEAD OR SPARKS FLY. ALL PROPERTIES OWNED BY FRANK DARABONT AND AMC (TELEVISION SERIES), ROBERT KIRKMAN AND TONY MOORE (COMIC BOOK SERIES), AND TAYLOR SWIFT, RESPECTIVELY. I ONLY OWN MY OWN ORIGINAL IDEAS AND CHARACTERS._ **

**_WARNING: STRONG SEXUAL CONTENT AND FEELS!_ **

**_Chapter Eighteen: Sparks Fly_ **

**_GARETH_ **

When Melody emerged from the adjoining bathroom in my light blue Ralph Lauren button up, wearing one of the new sets of bra and panties she bought earlier, I could feel myself getting aroused. Melody was so delicious that looking at her was to the point of almost sinful.

"My shirt looks _so_ sexy on you."

She cocked her head with a confused look, reminding me of a little puppy. "Huh, what did you say?"

Had I really said that out loud? I shook myself out of my daydream. "I said that my shirt fits well on you."

"Oh, yes, it does. Toothbrush?"

"Right, in here." I joined her in my bathroom, unsure if she had caught on to what I said, but feeling embarrassed nevertheless.

**_MELODY_ **

I silently giggled when I saw Gareth pump his fist inside his closest. For as smooth and charismatic as he was, he had these moments that show such a carefree and silly part of his personality, it was too cute. I also knew he said his shirt looked sexy on me. Perhaps tonight would finally be when we consummated our relationship, we've only been trying for an eternity. I had a feeling we would, why else would I have put on the brand new hot pink satin bra and cheekies that I bought earlier to surprise him with at some point in the future? While Gareth had taken Autumn Montana back to Build-A-Bear for the third time, I had gone to Victoria Secrets to spend the gift card Grandma and Grandpa Blake got me for Christmas, hoping one day to have the guts to give Gareth a show again like I had in his office.

"Here you go." Gareth pulled out a box from underneath the sink with an electric toothbrush inside. "I always keep a spare on me." He put the pink toothbrush head on and handed it to me before putting toothpaste on both brushes. We began brushing our teeth, smiling at each other in between spitting breaks as the brushes hummed their tune. I couldn't help but think of how freaking cute we looked. Yes, I loved our sexy moments, but it was also little moments like these that I knew I'd treasure for the rest of my life.

"So, what do you want to do, are you tired? We can watch a movie or catch up on _American Horror Story_ , maybe you're finally ready to read me some of your stories? I've been dying to hear them." Gareth turned around as we walked out of the bathroom. He was dying to hear my stories, but I wasn't ready to read them to him yet, they were pretty racy. Not to mention he was the basis for the male lead in my current erotica romance, I wasn't sure how he'd feel about that.

"Yeah, they aren't finished yet. Hey, how about a massage? You seem really tense lately, and I just bought those lotions, I want to put them to good use. Plus, I've been told I have magic fingers." I really wanted to do something nice and special for Gareth, he deserved it. He smiled over at me in joy.

"Wow, ok. That'd be awesome. Thanks, babe."

"Alright, cool. Well, just strip down to your skivvies and lay on your stomach. I'll start with the back and work my way to the front."

"Sure." Gareth flung his shirt off and removed his pants before rifling through the bag. While he was a bit on the slim side in regards to my body type preference of men, he had great muscle definition in his arms, back, and chest, with a V outline of his pelvis becoming more visible. Either way, he totally knew how to rock a pair of boxer briefs. As Gareth turned around, I smiled, noticing the tattoo on his back.

"When did you get it?" I asked, delicately tracing my fingers on his skin. It was a tattoo of a green eyed purple owl on a tree branch, encircled with red and orange leaves and blue and green flowers. Underneath it was Autumn Montana's name and birthday. The tattoo was obviously Pipper, her Beanie Boo that I had seen her with throughout the day.

"When she was a year old, Theresa and I decided to get matching tattoos. Since it was for our daughter, I figured it wouldn't be a kiss of death. Boy, was I wrong."

"Either way, it's beautiful."

"What about lighting some of these candles? That could be kind of fun."

"Yeah, go for it." I could tell by him saying that that he was trying to set the mood for intimacy and romance, and I began to feel eager and anxious, my indecisiveness threatening to get the better of me.

Gareth laid down as I sat on the edge of the bed, squeezing some of the Secret Wonderland lotion in my hand. The peachy, sugarplum scent of the lotion mingled with the aroma of vanilla, coconut, red apple, and peppermint being exuded from the candles, turning the room into a warm yet early winter dream. "If you have any other kids, will you get tattoos for them, also?"

"Hmmm, that's a great question. I don't know, it depends. Probably."

"Do you want more children in the future?" I began running my hands up the back of his left calf, rubbing the lotion in before going down to his foot, massaging between his toes. It might not have been the right question to ask, but I was curious.

"Yeah, at least one more, maybe two or three. I'm from a big family, so it makes sense, but I'd like to be married to the next woman I have children with. What about you? Do you see that in the cards for your future?"

Although I was hesitant, I found myself smiling as I finished with his right leg and began working on his back. "Absolutely. With the right person, of course. It wasn't Ben, and now we'll clearly never know if it was going to be Aiden." I sighed heavily, regretting my reply just a little bit, a hint of tension hanging in the air. It scared me that no matter whom I end up with- whether it's Gareth or somebody else- that I may not be able to love them as much as I loved Aiden. Except in my heart, I really did love Gareth and wanted to be with him. Tara was right, I was driving myself insane waiting for the silver lining to unravel, I need to fully relax.

"Well, I can definitely see you being a mother. You're terrific with children. Autumn Montana thinks the world of you. Wow, you were right. You really do have magic fingers. I've been a knotted mess for weeks, and now I feel so relaxed."

"I guess I have the touch. Autumn Montana is an absolute darling. You've done an outstanding job with her. Alright, now the front."

As Gareth rolled over, looking up at me, I straddled him to massage his chest and arms. When I felt his massive erection on my sex and his large hands massaging my hips, I couldn't help but get turned on as well. I could feel my face heating up, which made me look down as I began massaging his arms.

"I like to think I learn from her just as much as she learns from me. Melody…"

When I finally looked into his eyes, he leaned up, putting his hand on the back of my neck and pulled me in for a sensual kiss as he laid me down. I moaned into his mouth and gripped his hair, overtaken by the ardor that had been building up all day from not being this intimate with him. His hands explored, hungry for the touch of more, which was when my fears crept up on me while he tried to unhook my bra with one hand and unbutton the shirt with the other.

"No, don't look. I'm disgusting." I desperately tried to button the shirt. Even though I had gained some confidence, I was still self conscious that Gareth would feel the silvery stretch marks or the rolls of fat, both of which had gone down, but not entirely. It was certainly a downgrade from how lascivious I was the other day, but I had explained that my sexual zeal came and went. I would always be haunted by the insulting voices of my past, no matter how I changed. My thoughts began to torment me with visions of Gareth with Genevieve, how she was so stunning and probably a sexual feline. It made me feel like I was going to disappoint him somehow. He stopped kissing me and stood up, extending his hand out.

"Come with me, I want to show you something."

I placed my hand in his and followed him out of the bed, where he led me into his closet, turning the light on and standing us in front of the mirror before getting behind me, putting his hands on my shoulders.

"What do you see, Melody?"

"I don't see what I want to look like. All I see is a mess that might possibly be flawed beyond repair, no matter how hard I try. Not everybody is meant to be beautiful and I've accepted that I'm one of those people." This was unfortunately true. All the laser work would never make anything go away 100%, I brought this on myself taking solace in food and caving in to my depression, and now it was ruining what should be a magnificent experience for me.

"That's not what I see."

"What do you _think_ you see?"

"I don't think, I know." His arms wrapped around me and started unbuttoning the shirt one by one as he spoke. "I see a girl- no, a young woman- who is so loving, so smart, and so stunning. A young woman who puts a smile on my face and that is always on my mind, who I've been waiting for ever since the day we met, who I want with my entire carnal desire, more than anything I can think of."

Gareth opened the shirt, exposing the front of my body as his hands circled my stomach and hips. I tried to look away, feeling my eyes watering in despondency and discontent of myself, but when I felt his chin on my shoulder I glanced up. I know that I was probably exaggerating with how bad I looked, but I didn't feel entirely beautiful, not like how Gareth claimed to see me.

"I never want to hear you say anything like that again about yourself. You're so beautiful, inside and out, one of the most beautiful girls I've ever met. How can I help you see that?"

I looked down, trying hard to hide my tears. "I don't know."

"Melody, please. Let me look at you. It won't be like it was before, I won't hurt you like they did. Give yourself to me." Our gazes met in the mirror, passion and sincerity in his eyes. All I could do was nod, deciding to take a risk, because I had to believe in his words.

"Gareth, you're the first man that's gone out of his way to assure my feelings and confidence, who is so sensitive, so compassionate, and so handsome. A man who makes me feel fearless and invincible on top of the world, that I can't stop thinking about. I want you, too, so badly, and I think we've waited long enough. You have me, you've always had me. Ever since the night we met."

I turned around and stepped forward as he bent down, closing the space between us with a tender kiss, allowing him to slip the shirt off my body. My arms wrapped around his neck as his were around my now half naked waist, our bodies pressed together. He swooped me up bridal style and walked us back to the bed, our eyes never breaking contact as he laid me down.

We continued to softly kiss while undressing one another at a languid pace until all our clothes were on the floor, leaving us completely naked and entangled in each other's arms. Gareth's hand moved down, his fingers stroking my wet lower lips as he kissed my breasts, grabbing a condom from the nightstand.

"Wait, I'll do it." I said in between kisses, taking the condom out of his hand.

"Really?"

I nodded, tearing the package in half. "Lie down and relax." Once Gareth was on his back, I moved down, grabbing his rock hard length. When I told him that he had a gorgeous cock, I meant it. Dicks are like diamonds, being measured by carat size, cut, color, and clarity. I've only had it in my mouth, that was all I could go by, but I already knew that I thought it was flawless.

His member was a perfect tan color, neatly circumcised, and long enough to where I could put the whole thing in my mouth and not gag. Truth be told, I enjoy giving blowjobs as much as the guy loves getting them. After making it nice and slick, I put the condom in my mouth, having to do everything not to gag on the awful lubricated taste as I made my way down until it was fully applied on his shaft.

"Mmm, Melody, that's so hot." Gareth moaned as I sucked my way back up. Not wanting to wait a moment longer, he grabbed me and turned us over, positioning himself on top. "I've been waiting for this for so long, you're the only one I want."

"Me too, Gareth. I really have." I put my hands on his face, staring deep into his soulful greenish brown eyes as he rested his arms on either side of me.

More than anything, I wanted to say how much I was in love with him, but my mother taught me and Lori that the man is supposed to say the first "I love you".

Gareth pushed forward, shuddering as he penetrated me, and I bit his shoulder, letting out a deep moan as I sucked the skin. He was so thick and the snugness of the condom made the fit tighter. Luckily, it was more stimulating than painful. He looked down on me with concern.

"Melody, are you-"

I shook my head and pulled him in. "Just keep kissing me." His mouth melted into mine, our bodies fused together as one.

"Oh, my god. You're so tight and warm, I love how I feel inside you." He moved down and began kissing my neck. "Are you comfortable?"

"Mmmhmm." I wrapped my arms around his shoulders. "I love how I can feel you all the way in my stomach. Keep going."

What I was experiencing now with Gareth really was beautiful, extraordinary even. It was everything he had promised -sweet, passionate, tender- not to mention incredibly erotic. I didn't feel dirty or useless, I actually felt safe and admired. I now knew that sex was more than just an animalistic act or casual activity. This time, I wasn't imagining Aiden, because everything I wanted with him I was receiving now from Gareth, that making love was real, because I was already so in love with him.

Gareth increased his thrusts to a comfortable speed, our foreheads pressed together as we ardently kissed. He pulled away and leaned into my ear, his whispers softening the whole experience in such a delightful way.

"Melody, you're gorgeous. I want to make you feel good, my sexy girl."

"You are, and I do. Nobody has ever made me feel this good before." This was unfortunately true; with the few lovers I've had being selfish or clumsy, henceforth why I've never had a real orgasm.

The sensation whirled inside me, and I felt such a rush. Bombs detonating, fireworks exploding, volcanoes erupting, being taken to the top of the galaxy on a roller coaster, with the drop plummeting into erotic liberation. I could feel my body begin to tense up and pulsate everywhere, my legs shaking uncontrollably, my toes curled. At this point, I didn't care if the President or Hannibal Lecter barged in, I was going to see this through to the end.

**_"OH, GOD! GARETH!"_ **

I threw my head back, feeling like I was melting and exploding all at once. My vision blurred and my whole body began tingling, my moans almost to the point of screams.

**_GARETH_ **

"That's it, Melody. Don't allow anything to hold you back, this is how it's meant to happen. You look so hot, I'm close and it's all for you, baby."

Melody clutched onto my back as I picked up the pace, her body shaking violently. I was enthralled watching her orgasm, it was a truly magnificent sight and turning me on like no other. Her toes curling into the sheets and her back arched, followed by her walls clenching tightly around my member, sending me to my own climax as I could feel her wetness pooling out.

**_"MELODY!"_ **

I quivered, releasing my desire inside the condom, shaking Melody with my cock while we exchanged wet, sloppy kisses. I was unsure if it was because the last time I had sex was almost six months ago or the fact that she had a virgin's tightness, but I felt drained by the time I was done coming. This was unfortunate, because I really, _really_ enjoyed myself and I couldn't wait to do it again, I wanted Melody to be my goddess in and out of the bedroom.

Our bodies sticky from the sweat of sex, our panting lungs desperately trying to regain normal breathing, I saw that Melody's eyes had been watering. "Don't cry, I've got you." I wiped her tears away with my finger. Even though I was touched, I also knew that crying was common after a woman experiences an orgasm. I just hoped it was from that and not something else, this moment was too seamless for either one of us to be sad.

"Sorry, now I'm really embarrassed. You must think I'm some kind of freak."

I shook my head. "No, not at all." I leaned in and gave her a passionate kiss, cradling her in my arms. "I love the sounds you make when you orgasm."

"Really?" She blushed, which made my heart beat even faster for her. To me, Melody was perfect, and she was perfect because she was real.

"Yes, sweetheart. It turned me on very much."

She yawned before curling up against me, her head sinking into the pillow. "That was phenomenal, much better than anything I've ever read or seen. We finally did it."

"Yeah, and without the spontaneous cock blockers."

"Ain't that the truth. If Beth knew, she wouldn't have bothered getting me, but Autumn Montana is the cutest of them all." Melody put her hand on my face as she tiredly blinked her eyes. "Can I ask you something, Gareth?"

I kissed the back of her hand. "Of course."

"Why didn't we meet before? Like why did it take us such a long time to find each other?" Her voice trailed off as she spoke.

"Hmmm. Well, to be honest, I don't know. Time has a weird way of working itself out and people come into our lives when we least expect it. Either way, I'm glad you're in my life."

Melody smiled as her eyes closed. "So am I. Really, really glad." That was her last sentence before she fell asleep.

**_Wow, that orgasm really wore her out. Thank you, Playboy Magazine._ **

I looked down with a smile at her sleeping form, so angelic and beautiful. It had been me that brought her to that extraordinary high and it would be to teach her all the arousing joys of sex. "I love you. I love you so much, Melody." I whispered as I kissed her on the cheek and wrapped my arms around her waist, closing my eyes. More than anything, I had wanted to tell Melody when we were making love, but I didn't want her to think it was only in the heat of the moment. Soon enough, I would tell her. Timing is everything.

**_4:45 AM_ **

I awoke to the faint sound of coyotes howling in the night outside my window. Grabbing my Rolex off the nightstand to see it was a quarter to five, I came to find that it was twilight, the colors of the evening giving way to the blues and purples of the impending sunrise. Waking up with Melody was fantastic, having her in my bed, in my arms, it felt so natural and I wouldn't mind it becoming a daily fixture. My hand travelled down the curve of her body, gently caressing before giving her bottom the tiniest love tap as I softly kissed her neck. She looked incredibly sexy, and I just couldn't help myself. Lazily grabbing a condom, I ripped the package off with my teeth and rolled it over my full mast. Pulling Melody in close, I moved her knee to the side as I entered whilst kissing her neck, smiling when I heard the faintest moan from the back of her throat.

**_MELODY_ **

I thought I was dreaming to feel Gareth inside me once again, but waking up this way was definitely something new. The next thing I felt were his hands on my stomach as he moved slowly. I opened my eyes and looked over my shoulder, our gazes meeting. It didn't take long for me to get into the rhythm of things as I started to swivel my hips on his length and wrapped my hand around the nape of his neck, our lips joining in a series of lazy yet sweet kisses. Gareth's hands moved up from my stomach to my bare breasts, gently kneading them together, my nipples hardening between his fingers.

There is no place I'd rather be right now than the comfort of this man's bed, the warmth of his arms, the feel of his body against mine. As Gareth continued kissing me, one hand went behind my head, intertwining the fingers of my stretched out right hand while the other hand made its way down my stomach to my womanhood, his thumb rubbing my clit in circles that were perfectly synchronized with his deep thrusts.

"Gareth, you're so deep. Go faster."

He abided with my request, kissing my neck as he sailed in and out. Every time he entered me, I could feel my heart rate speeding up whenever he hit my G spot. My vision blurred once again as the coiling of my stomach spread further, causing me to bury my head in the pillow as another mind-blowing orgasm ripped through and took over my whole body.

**_"GARETH! OH, MY GOD!"_ **

Our bodies began a dance of spasms as we simultaneously came, the feel of his rod jerking inside me only added to the pleasuring sensation, the room scored with pants, moans, and whimpers. All I could see was rainbow light exploding behind my eyes, simmering to black and white dots as I floated down from the peak of sex.

Once our labored breathing decreased, I looked over my shoulder at him with the biggest smile on my face. "Good morning to you, too."

Gareth returned the smile, laying on his side. "Great morning is more like it. How are you feeling?"

"That was incredible, both times. It completely exceeded my expectations." I rolled on top of him as his hands clasped around my lower back over the sheets.

"Are you talking about sex with me or just an orgasm?"

"Both, duh." I giggled as I started kissing his whole face, making him laugh. Morning sex worked wonders, my happiness was implausibly high right now. "You really know what you're doing."

"I can't even begin to imagine what the hell you were with before I came along, but I can say with confidence that now you know what it's like to be made love to by a real man."

"That's true. I have a feeling that there will be many orgasms and lots of sex in our amatory future, won't there?"

He nodded. "Absolutely. Who says we have to wait for the future when there's right now?" Gareth winked with his trademark smirk, flipping me over and giving me a sexy kiss before licking and kissing down my body, turning my giggles of glee into moans of rapture as he proceeded the act that his adorable little cock blocker interrupted four days earlier …

**_7:20 AM_ **

**_GARETH_ **

After swimming ten laps in the pool and going on a two mile run, I decided to relieve my limbs with a nice, steaming shower, sighing happily as the water hit my body. Morning sex always left me invigorated (it really is the best start to the day), and right now, I was completely content, everything was even better than I could imagine.

"Gareth?" Melody knocked on the shower door. She was sleeping when my alarm went off at almost six in the morning and still when I got back in five minutes ago, and what a sight it had been. Her long, honey brown hair cascading down her bare back, nestled into my pillow with the slightest hint of a smile as she happily dreamed, my sleeping beauty.

"Yes?"

"Hey, uh, I was kind of wondering if I could, um..." I opened the door to see her standing there, my shirt unbuttoned just to her navel, perfectly covering her breasts. Grinning from ear to ear, I flicked the last two buttons, fully opening the shirt before nodding my head behind me.

"Get in here." I pushed the shirt off and pulled her in, closing the door behind us before I looked down, still smiling at her sinuous body under the showerhead. "God damn."

She cocked her head to the side with a questioning look. "What?"

"You're gorgeous, but the sight of you fully naked is just breathtaking." I bit my lip, giving her a suggestive look.

Melody started giggling, a blush spreading across her cheeks as she looked away. "Oh, stop."

I smiled, loving how she can be both sexy and shy at the same time. What I liked the most was that her sexual confidence varied, so it made it that much easier for flattery. Grabbing the bottle of vanilla honey body wash that matched her taste, I poured some into my hand. "What? I'm serious." I turned Melody around, my hardened self poking into her backside, running my hands all over and lathering her up, starting with those magnificent breasts. "Don't you feel what you do to me? I swear, you have the best boob to hip ratio I've ever seen." My hands then glided down to her hips. "Melody, you're a bombshell, and no matter what, I will make you see that."

She turned around in my hold and leaned up, kissing me with such fervor as she pulled us under the showerhead, our wet bodies pressed together as my fingers probed inside of her. We separated, just staring into each other's eyes. Here I was with a beautiful girl I was crazy about in my arms, and this shower was our safe haven from the world. There was nothing more that I wanted than for this moment to last forever.

"It's so peaceful in here with you." Melody rested her head on my chest as I held her to me.

"Yes, it is. So we're together now, right?" I looked down at her, our gazes meeting instantaneously. It may have seemed a bit forward, but I figured the timing was right. We had gone through more in almost two months than the average couple, so why not take the next step?

"Huh? Wait, are you saying you don't do what we did twice with all your friends?" She gasped, putting a hand to her face. "Martin and Albert will be so disappointed."

I chuckled, rolling my eyes. "Very funny. I'm serious though."

"What, you mean like Facebook official?"

"Ok, who set the precedent that relationships in this day and age only mean something if they're "Facebook official"? First my sister, now you, you girls are nuts."

Melody smirked as she grabbed my shampoo bottle, squirting some of the goo on her hand before rubbing her fingers through my hair. "Hey, we're girls. It's a big deal to us. Being Facebook official with somebody is so we can show to the world that we're taken. That and I'd be lying if I said it wasn't done just to show off a little bit." She stepped back, admiring her work on my head. "Awww, you look so cute with spiked hair. Bumble and Bumble, you've got the good stuff."

I returned the favor, massaging her scalp with the shampoo as I rinsed my hair out. "Don't try to Segway, little lady."

She looked up at me, her eyes seeming bigger now that she was naked in the light and soaked from head to toe. At first, Melody's facial expression seemed to be vulnerable, like she couldn't believe my words, but then she smiled. "Gareth, don't you remember what I said last night? You've always had me, you don't even have to ask."

Hearing this twice really had me in great spirits. I could stop doubting, she just confirmed that she wanted to be with me as much as I wanted to be with her. Alas, I was going to hold off on telling her "I love you" while she's awake for a little bit longer.

"You've always had me, too, and you will for as long as you want me." I cupped her face and kissed her tenderly, our tongues slowly crossing back and forth in the tranquility of this shower. When we separated, Melody was smiling.

"So will you. I appreciate you washing me off and for pleasuring me all night long, but now it's time I return the favor." She shot me a wink before sinking down to her knees as I watched her swallow my erection whole. Her eyes never left mine while she bobbed her head up and down and I felt myself go weak in the knees.

"Oh, fuck. Babydoll…"

**_9:30 am_ **

**_MELODY_ **

"Gareth. Gareth. Gareth. Gareth. Gareth. Dad. Dad. Dad. Daddy. Daddy. Daddy. Dada. Dada. Dada. Da. Da. Da. Dad. Dad. Dad. Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!"

After our sexy shower, Gareth and I had gotten dressed and cuddled up in his bed, only to fall back asleep again. The sound of the door creaking slightly stirred me from my sleep, but I figured it was the sounds of the house. When Autumn Montana started pulling a Stewie Griffin, I felt panicked. How would she react to seeing me in her father's bed? Should I slip out or stay in? I could just imagine her drawing pictures of this for a child psychologist and everybody's screwed.

"Gareth." I whispered. "What should I do?"

He groaned in his sleep, pulling me in tighter with his arms and legs. "Nothing. Stay here with me." Gareth cleared his throat, and I had a feeling his eyes were still closed, too. "Sweetie pie, Sunday is the only time Daddy gets to sleep in. Why are you up so early?"

"The big hand is on the six and the little hand is on the nine, that's not that early. I'm bored, Daddy, and I miss you." The next thing I felt was the end of the bed slightly sinking as Autumn Montana climbed up, followed by the light snorting of Violet.

"I know, baby, but if Daddy doesn't get enough sleep then he can't do a good job at work, and then there's no money to buy all those Build-A-Bears you want."

She started giggling. "You're silly, Daddy. Hi, Melody."

"Hi, pumpkin." I opened my eyes to see Autumn Montana at the end of the bed wearing pink Tenderheart Care Bear pajamas, holding Pipper in one hand and Elsa in the other as Violet sniffed her feet. "I've got an idea for you. You know how to count and tell time, right?"

"Uh huh." She nodded.

"Ok, so how about this: Why don't you go back to your room, wash your face, brush your teeth and hair, get dressed, and make your bed. When the little hand is on the ten and the big hand is on the twelve, come back and we'll be up, alright?"

"Ok! Come on, Violet!" The duo got off the bed, with Violet snorting and hopping away behind Autumn Montana. I smiled as I snuggled back into the pillow.

"How'd you get so great with kids?" Gareth asked, stroking my hip.

"Well, I did spend _some_ time with my sisters when they were little. That and during junior year, Tara and I were teacher aides for a kindergarten class at the elementary school down the road as our elective. We became good friends with Lana, the teacher, and we even baby sat her son Hunter sometimes."

"Impressive and a total natural. You're amazing, Melody." He started kissing behind my ear, which I couldn't help but giggle over.

"Hey, I'm just trying to be the best me I can. Are you sure this is ok? She's not going to say anything to Theresa?"

"I don't think so, she didn't seem too shocked."

"I hope not. We should probably get up. I wish you had your own place, I really want to make you breakfast." I rolled over and stared up at him, drawing invisible patterns into his bare chest with my finger.

"You still can if you want to, what's on your mind?"

"Hmmm, it is Pancake Sunday. I've been told I make the best chocolate chip Mickey Mouse pancakes from scratch. If only Lori would take a page from my book."

"I'm sure they're delicious. Hey, why don't you invite them and your mom over for brunch?"

I raised a questioning eyebrow. "Really, you think?"

He nodded. "Yeah, why not? We can go to the store and get what we don't have, and our families should meet at some point. It'll be a lot of fun. What do you think, babe?"

Honestly, I was flattered. Gareth really was serious about being together. Even though I had had boyfriends before, they were abnormal relationships more or less. The normal things like this that are supposed to happen are still so new to me, but I am ready to embrace the change. I smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek before grabbing my phone. "Totally. I can't wait, and you're right. It will be fun."

**_Reviews are encouraged! Please read and follow and spread the word! NO FLAMES! :)_ **


	19. Modern Family, Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gareth and Melody gather their families together for what turns out to be a very entertaining brunch, until Gareth's ex Theresa attempts to put a damper on things with her abrasive attitude.

**Hi everybody! Sorry I've been lagging with _Phoenix_ , my head has been all over the place lately!**

**Again, no new _Walking Dead_ characters, but the next chapter will have Theresa and Sam in it.**

**I wanna give a special shout out to my beta reader texasbelle91, as well as Chloe Cannon 3, DarylDixon'sgirl1985, Headwalkerz, He-Who-Shall-Live, Hey01ig, Lego Kid At Heart, Prettyprincess45, and SilverSun09. Please check out their stories, because they are freaking awesome!**

**_Chapter Nineteen: Modern Family, Part One_ **

**_The Grimes Residence, Calabasas, 9:45 am_ **

**_LORI_ **

"So Melody spent the night out at Gareth's?" Rick asked me as we were getting ready for the day, to which I nodded, even though he couldn't see me since we were in our own separate closets.

"Mmhmm. They were having such a good time, why end it there? You know what that means, right?" I walked out of my closet wearing a tie dyed pink, purple, white and blue sundress, which seemed to be the only thing that was fitting me nowadays. My weight was mostly in my stomach and hips, I had already begun to show, except I was still feeling uncomfortable. The back pains were constant, but at least I didn't have morning sickness anymore. Either way, I couldn't wait to give birth.

"No, what does it mean?" Rick asked as he emerged from his closet in a T-shirt and jeans.

"She stayed the night, Rick, what else could it possibly mean? They made love."

All my husband did was roll his eyes at me and laugh as he sat down on the bed to put his shoes on. "You've been watching too many Lifetime movies, Lori. They haven't been together that long. In order to make love, you have to actually _be_ in love first. Otherwise, it's just sensual sex."

I scoffed at Rick and playfully shoved his shoulder, making him laugh as I laid on my side. "Since when did you get so cynical? And that is not true, by the way. Pick up any romance novel. Besides, whose to say they aren't in love already? Melody and Gareth have been together almost three months, that's long enough. I knew I was in love with you after our first date."

Rick smiled. "You have a point, but I knew I was in love with you when I finally got the guts up to ask you out." He leaned in and kissed me, which I reciprocated by pulling him in further. No marriage was perfect, we have our ups and downs, not to mention plenty of shouting matches. Nevertheless, at the end of the day, my love for Rick would never falter.

We were getting hot and heavy when an annoying jingle beeped from my iPhone, indicating that I was getting a FaceTime call. Rick and I gave each other a puzzled look as I unplugged my phone and pressed the accept button to see it was my sister. "It's Melody. I wonder what's going on."

When the screen opened, I saw her on a black suede California King sleigh bed with navy blue linens in a light grey room with a large iMac on a desk across from the right side of the bed and a 50" projection screen TV across from the bed, as well as some paintings and posters on the wall. Gareth was sitting across from Melody, they both had their foreheads pressed together and silly grins on their faces.

"Nice try, hot lips. I am not breaking this stare down, so don't even try to throw me off."

"Oh, yeah? I bet you I can."

Gareth leaned in to kiss her but then started tickling her sides and kissing her neck. Melody started laughing hysterically and squirming around as she fell back against the pillows.

"Gareth, no! You know how ticklish I am, especially behind my ears." Melody tried to push him off, but Gareth just kept tickling and laughing along with her. I couldn't help but smile.

"Having fun, you two?"

The two of them looked over and smiled.

"Oops, looks like we've been caught." Gareth said with a smirk.

"Guess so. Hi, sissy!" Melody grabbed her phone off the nightstand so she was looking directly at us, a huge grin on her face with Gareth sitting next to her. "Good morning! Say hi, Gareth."

"Hi, Gareth."

She giggled and rolled her eyes. "You're suck a dork! I knew you were going to pull that."

"But isn't that what's part of my charm?"

"Ha, of course."

Gareth pulled her in closer before waving at us. "Morning, Rick and Lori."

Rick waved at the phone. "Hey, Gareth. Melody."

"Hi, MeMe! What's going on? We were just getting dressed."

Melody scoffed and elbowed Gareth. "I told you they were making out." It was hard to believe that not even three days ago she was so pissed at him, because now it was the complete opposite, which made me smile.

"Like you two weren't doing anything either. What's up?"

"We weren't." I could tell by the tone of her voice that she was hiding something, but figured she'd tell me later. Besides, even if they had, they hid it well. The bed was made and they were both dressed with their hair neatly brushed. "Anyways, it's Pancake Sunday, I'm making my chocolate chip Mickey Mouse pancakes, and Gareth came up with the brilliant idea of having you guys, Mommy, and Grams over for brunch so our families could meet. Are you game?"

Rick hesitated. "Well-"

"Yes! Of course we are." I stared over at Rick. "What's to say no to?" I turned back at Melody. "We'll be there, what time? Should we bring anything?"

"Hmmm, no, we're about to go to the store with Autumn Montana in a few minutes. You'll love her, she's the cutest little thing in the world. How about 10:30? It's time for you to learn how to _really_ make pancakes, big sister."

"Hey! I know how to cook, little sister. My lasagna is amazing."

"Yeah, sure, but if lasagna is the only thing you can make, you might as well divorce Rick and marry Garfield." She began cracking up over that, leaning into Gareth as he started laughing before addressing us.

"Lori, don't worry about bringing anything, just bring yourselves and an open mind. My family is free spirited and kooky, but loveable nonetheless."

"I've only heard good things, but you're in for a wild ride with our grandma. She's very opinionated and has a tendency to be a bit crass." The fact that our grandma would be there had me a little nervous, especially after how she treated Melody when I had everybody over for dinner to announce my pregnancy.

"I know, and I've been warned. There's nothing I can't handle. She sounds fun."

"Let me know if you still think that after two hours." Rick interjected with a smirk.

Melody glanced up at Gareth. "Fun? Man, you really are crazy." She turned back to the phone. "Alright, I'll see you guys in a while, texting you the address and directions now. Can't wait!"

"Us, too. Bye, Melondrop."

"Bye, Lollipop."

We waved to each other as she ended the call. I turned to Rick, wondering why he had been uncertain at first. "Are you ok, baby?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just stressed over this Mikimoto presentation and the party."

I caressed his cheek. "I know, it's a lot, but the party is going to be a blast, like it is every year. Don't worry. If you can still stand the sight of the fat ass pregnant whale you're married to, then I'll be able to relieve some of that stress." I winked over at Rick, to which he smiled. My hormones were going through the roof, which meant my sex drive was as well.

Rick laughed. "Hey, that's my wife you're talking about. Besides, I like how you look with some curves." He reached over and tugged me forward until I was on top him, resuming our kissing from before Melody called. Sometimes, Rick was a little too reserved in bed, but lately he had stepped up his game in a _big_ way…

**_Gareth's House, Encino, 10:35 am_ **

"Wow, nice place." I looked at the outside of Gareth's house as Rick pulled up. It was exactly how Melody described, a semi-large brown Tudor with lots of ivy. Even though I hadn't seen the inside yet, I could feel the warmth that radiated from the home.

"Yeah, sure is. I remember when he added on the second unit. Considering how much money we've made in almost two years since Gareth has been with Woodbury, he more than deserves it." Rick said as we got out of the car. The quickie we had before leaving the house definitely brightened his mood, he was in high spirits.

"Are you excited to see Sophia, Carl?" I asked as we walked up to the front door. Rick and I had met Sophia and Alex, along with Gareth's best friend Albert, when they were over for Movie Night. They were all very nice, and I couldn't wait to meet the rest of Gareth's family. All Carl did was scoff as his face went bright red.

"Whatever. Sure, I am."

Even though he was trying to act cool, I already knew he had a little crush on her. What wasn't to like? Sophia looked like a younger version of Keira Knightley and seemed to be polite.

"Carl, just be on your best behavior, ok?" Rick said as he rang the doorbell.

We were greeted by an older woman with long wavy brown hair and blue eyes, wearing a bohemian hippie dress and a smile on her face. "Hello there! You must be Melody's family. I'm Mary, Gareth and Alex's mother."

"Hi! We are. I'm her older sister, Lori. This is my husband Rick and our son, Carl."

After we all shook hands, Mary motioned us inside. "It's a pleasure to have you all over."

"Thank you for having us. Where are Melody and Gareth?" I asked as I looked around the house, pleased that it was exactly what I thought it would be.

"They just got back from the grocery store and checked to see if everybody else was awake, they should be down soon."

"WEEE! YAA HOO!"

The four of us looked over to see a piglet wearing a purple tutu and a tiara hop down the stairs, followed by who I assumed was Autumn Montana, sitting in front of Melody, who was sitting in front of Gareth as they slid to the bottom of the stairs.

"See, I told you Violet was fast!" Autumn Montana stood up and giggled.

"You were right about that one, Autumn. There's no denying that." Gareth rose to his feet, giving Melody a hand as she leaned forward and whispered something in his ear before they both started laughing. He put his hand on the small of her back and whispered something , to which she pulled away and bit her lip.

"Gareth…" Mary glanced over at him, to which they both turned over and looked at us with huge smiles on their faces.

"Hey, Grimes! Welcome!"

"Lori!" Melody ran over and threw her arms around me in a huge hug before pulling back. "Hi, guys!" She was barefoot, wearing jeans and a black Pink Floyd T-shirt that was most likely Gareth's because it was two sizes too big and tied in the back, along with being worn off the right shoulder, light makeup and her hair down and toussled, grinning from ear to ear. I hadn't seen her this happy in a long time, and it made everything that much brighter.

"Hi! Here, we brought Cristal for mimosas." Rick held up two bottles, smiling.

"Alright! Now it's really brunch!" Gareth and Melody high fived each other as the piglet started sniffing my feet.

"Oh! Whose your little friend?"

"That's Violet, and she belongs to this little beauty right here." Gareth swept up a giggling Autumn Montana as he stood next to Melody. "Autumn Montana, can you say hi?"

She waved before burying her head in his shoulder, which made him smile. "What, are you shy all of a sudden? Come on, say hello."

Melody leaned in and whispered something in her ear, before Autumn Montana pulled back and smiled, pointing at Carl. "Mim-nun! Mim-nun!"

Everybody started laughing while Carl looked confused. Melody ruffled his hair. " _Despicable Me_ , kiddo." She took Autumn Montana out of Gareth's arms and walked closer to me. "Autumn, this is my big sister, Lori. Feel this." Melody put Autumn Montana's hand on my stomach, we both watched her little eyes widen as the baby kicked. "Isn't that cool?"

"Whoa! There's a baby in there?"

I smiled and nodded. "Yes, there is. A baby girl."

"That's what you did when you were in your mommy's tummy and what we did in all of ours, too." Melody balanced Autumn Montana on her hip, and I couldn't help but think that the two of them with Gareth looked like such a cute little family.

"How'd the baby get there?"

That question left us all with shocked yet uncomfortable facial expressions.

"Did The Stork visit like in _Dumbo_?"

**_GARETH_ **

"Yes, sweetheart, that's exactly how Lori's baby got in her tummy. Why don't you and Violet go with Bubbe and Nana in the kitchen?"

Autumn Montana smiled and nodded. "Ok!"

"Come on, owl child, let's go." Mary smiled as she took Autumn Montana out of Melody's arms with Violet following. Once they left, Lori elbowed me with a smirk.

"Nice save there."

I smiled back, breathing a sigh of relief. "Thanks. It's what we're using until she's old enough."

"Charlotte, you have got to tell her to break up with this Gary once and for all! Melody is too high maintenance, she can't be dating somebody with a child. There's always a chance that the mother will lay some guilt trip, he'll go back and leave our little Melondrop a heartbroken mess. Guess who has to pick up the pieces? You, me, Lori, Rick even!"

We all looked out the front window to see Charlotte and who appeared to be Grandma Frances walking up to the door.

"His name is Gareth, Mom, not Gary. Don't put so much negativity on it. He's a nice Jewish boy who treats Melody like the princess she deserves to be, and I'm sure he's a great father, too. She isn't high maintenance, she's just a little theatrical. It's part of her personality."

I leaned in to Melody before whispering in her ear. "She wouldn't think I was a nice Jewish boy if she knew what I did to you at five in the morning…"

Melody's eyes widened and she smacked me in the arm. "GAR-ETH!" Her humiliation only lasted for a little bit before she started laughing into my chest, causing Rick and Lori to look over at us, to which I rolled my eyes.

"That's yet to be seen. Judging from her dating past, she's got a shoddy record. Remember that pansy Randall? His ass was smaller than hers, and she already thinks her butt is as big as Coco Austin's, I can only imagine what this Garrett's will look like. I always said you can tell a lot about a man by his backside and what's between his legs. Melody should take a page from Lori's book, Rick's got an ass that should be put in a museum, or _Playgirl_ magazine, and I'm sure he's got legendary genitals to boot."

Lori looked over at us. "Should we let them know we can hear everything they said?"

Melody shook her head. "No, but we should probably cut this short." She walked over and opened the door. "Hi, Mommy! Hi, Grams!"

"My darlings!" Charlotte walked forward and hugged Lori and Melody, followed by Rick and Carl, before glancing over at me. "Hi, Gareth! How are you?" She then gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"I'm fantastic, I'm glad you could make it." I smiled. In my wildest dreams, if Melody and I ended up getting married, Charlotte would be the best mother in law a guy could ever want.

"Melody Jasmine! My goodness, what are you wearing?! I swear, you would think that your mother spent her fortune dressing some other child with-" Grandma Frances barged in the house and did a double take at me as she went silent.

"Hi, I'm Gareth. You must be Melody and Lori's grandma." I extended my hand to her.

She was staring at me with her mouth open before her lips curled up into a smile as she flipped back what she could of her hair and strutted forward. "Why, hello there, Gareth. The pleasure is all mine. These fools call me Grams, but you can call me Frances." She then took my hand and shook it, giving me a flirtatious smile.

I could feel my face turn red, was she coming on to me? "I've heard a lot of wonderful things, Frances."

"Well, if I had known I'd be looking at a young James Darren, I would have told my precious Melly to set up a meeting sooner, Moon Doggie."

Lori and Melody could no longer hold back and fell over each laughing hysterically, almost falling to the floor. I looked over at Rick, Carl, and Charlotte, who were all biting their tongues, to which I just shrugged.

"You're quite the character, Frances, and I'm glad to have you over. Come on, let me introduce you to everybody else."

Rick glanced down at Lori and Melody, who were now laughing on the actual floor, their faces almost bright red. "How are you doing down there, gigglepusses?"

"Yeah, what's gotten into you two?" Carl asked.

They shook their heads, wiping their tears away.

"It's nothing, guys." Melody got up, grabbing Lori by the hands and pulling her to her feet. "Let's go." She then grabbed me as I instructed the others to go to the kitchen.

"Your grandma just came onto me, huh?"

Melody nodded. "Yeah, but can you blame her, Moondoggie?" She batted her eyelashes, which made her all the more adorable. I gave her a quick kiss, pulling away with what I'm sure was some kind of lovestruck smile on my face.

"No, Gidget, I can't say I do. I guess there's a first for everything."

I walked into the kitchen to see my mom making coffee as Autumn Montana played in the backyard with Violet. Carol walked in from picking oranges outside and smirked over at me.

"Hey, stud." She smacked me on the butt as she walked by, turning around and giving me a wink. I was kind of confused, but decided to delve into it later.

"Uh, hi? Mom, Carol, this is Melody's mom Charlotte and her grandma Frances, along with her sister Lori, my boss Rick and their son Carl."

My mom smiled, wiping her hands off and greeted Charlotte. "Hello! It's wonderful to meet you."

Charlotte smiled back. "Same for you."

"Now that we're meeting in person, I'd like to tell you first hand that your daughter is such a lovely girl."

"An absolute angel is more like it." Carol added, to which Charlotte smiled.

"Why, thank you very much. I'm so proud of both of my girls. I can also tell you first hand that you really have a remarkable son, too."

Melody squeezed my hand, we both had the same ecstatic feeling right now of how everybody was getting along.

"Wait a second, I know who you are!" Grandma Frances pointed at my moms. "You're Mary and Carol from _The Amazing Race_!"

Carol nodded. "Yes, we are."

Frances' mouth flew open again. "Oh my karaoke schemes and cobbler dreams! I was rooting for you to win! Your leg injury was absolutely devastating, Mary!"

Mom smiled shyly. "It was and we were pretty close, but we both took away such a wonderful experience, not to mention traveling the world."

Every once in a while, they would get recognized from being on Season 24 of _The Amazing Race_ , which they were close to winning until my mom tripped in the rave maze in Belgium and injured her leg, hindering them from winning the race and arriving third with Carol carrying her over the finish line. Nevertheless, the five of us were so proud of the valiant spirit they had.

"DUDE! The Man, The Myth, The God! I want every last detail!"

We all looked over to see Alex strolling into the kitchen, once again wearing nothing but white tube socks and _Spongebob Squarepants_ boxers.

"You had that chick-" The bemused smirk turned into a look of shock as he looked at all of us, Lori and Charlotte in particular.

Melody addressed him, trying not to smirk. "Alex, this is my family. We told you twenty minutes ago they were coming for brunch and to get dressed, you said you heard me?"

"Dude, your mom is a total MILF!" Alex ran up, grabbing Charlotte's hand and giving a kiss, to which everybody else looked mortified. "Hola, mamacita. I must say, The Governor of California was a fool to ever let you go, because your ballot box is one I definitely want to stuff my vote into."

Before Charlotte could even reply with her mouth agape, Melody interjected, slapping his hand away. "NU-UH! Alex, hands off my mom and go put your pants on! Besides, she has a boyfriend."

"Yeah, where is he, Mom?" Lori asked, hands on her hips, to which their mother looked at the tray she had been holding.

"He was busy, prior engagement." She cleared her throat, looking over at Mom and Carol. "Melody called just in time, I was just whipping up a batch of my famous chocolate chip pumpkin bread loaves."

I don't know what it was, but Charlotte was definitely hiding something about the man she was dating.

**_3:00 pm_ **

**_MELODY_ **

"Ok, the ending of _True Blood_ totally sucked! I was so bummed. No matter what, I always, _always_ thought Bill and Sookie would get back together, but to have him meet The True Death and we have no idea who got her knocked up was stupid. Seriously, the writers ran out of ideas at that point." I laughed, sipping from my mimosa flute as I sat on Gareth's lap with his arms wrapped around my waist.

The past few hours had flown by. Despite the initial awkwardness from my grandma and Alex, it had been forgotten in order to make way for a brunch filled with laughs and smiles. Everybody seemed to be hitting it off, Lori and Carol were practically inseparable, as were Mom and Mary. I had been worried that Grams would shoot her loud mouth off in front of Autumn Montana, but like me, when she first met Gareth's daughter, her heart melted. Autumn Montana really was a well behaved little girl, because the first thing my grandma did was pinch her adorable little cheeks and she didn't even complain.

In my wildest dreams, if Gareth and I ever got married, Autumn Montana would be the best step daughter anybody could have. Mom and Lori also fell in love with her, the four of us laughing as we made my chocolate chip Mickey Mouse pancakes. Now, hours later, it was just the adults sitting around the patio table while the kids played with Autumn Montana.

"I watched that show, it was just too gory for me. All this vampire/zombie craze is getting out of control." Mom said, to which I laughed.

"You're right, but the sex scenes were something else. That's what I love about HBO, they can take sexual liberties." Mary added.

"That stuff is nothing compared to what I write, which I can sit here with a straight face and tell you all that it's better than that _Fifty Shades of Shit_." I cocked my head over at my sister. "I'm talking to you over there, Lollipop."

Lori laughed. "Alright, Melondrop, we get it. You can't stand the series that I love so much."

"What the heck is there to love? I couldn't even finish the first book, and you know how I love to read. _My_ sex scenes are hot and tasteful, not some BDSM-Lite crap filled with anal beads and golden showers. Also, excuse my language, everybody, but my characters aren't misogynistic assholes and subservient bitches."

"I'm not saying they are or aren't. I love you to death, but I can't bring myself to read erotica knowing my baby sister wrote it."

Rick shrugged. "So? I've known Melody since she was in diapers and I read her stories."

"You have?" Lori asked with a raised eyebrow, to which he nodded.

"She's right, it's pretty racy."

"Makes sense. Hot girl equals hot writing." Alex snickered.

"Hey," Gareth elbowed me. "How come Rick can read your stuff and I can't?"

"Yes, Melody, Mary and I are still waiting for you to send us the link to your FanFiction stories." Carol said.

I could feel my face heating up as everybody watched me. "I know, I'm sorry. It's just-"

"It's just that you're afraid, Melody. That's why you haven't sent anything off yet, you're scared." Grams spoke up, causing the table to fall silent to her words.

I looked down, knowing that this had been too good to be true. With my annoyance now bubbling, I was about to tell her off when Gareth spoke up.

"Frances, I don't think she's afraid at all. The writing process isn't easy, I'm sure, it won't be like Rumplestiltskin where she'll wake up to a finished product. Melody's imagination is constantly exploding with ideas, which is why she jumps around so much on her projects. All artists have a method to their madness, but I know that the last word to ever describe Melody would be "afraid"."

Gareth looked up at me and smiled. Everybody at the table shot us amused expressions while my loudmouth grandma started baffling, unable to hurl an insult back. At that moment, I thought that Gareth was actually in love with me, too, for he had just done something so selfless and respectful as defending my honor.

"Well, I actually can't wait to see the movie. Rick and I are going Valentine's Day weekend when it comes out."

I laughed at my sister. "You mean you're dragging Rick to see it? Whoa, boy. I feel sorry for you, man." The table once again resumed it's laughter and light tone, making my anxiety simmer down. With that, I couldn't have been happier. "The casting on this is all wrong, too. Matt Bomer would have been a perfect-"

The chorus of "Stupid Girl" by Garbage chimed through the air, interrupting the conversation, and I could feel the vibration from Gareth's leg. I watched him pull his phone out of his pocket and saw that the caller ID read "Stupid Bitch".

"Hello, Theresa." I couldn't make out what she was saying on the phone, but Gareth was getting annoyed. "We said five, not three. She's playing with her aunts. Can't you and Sam do something until then?"

The next thing I heard was a whining "No!" from the other end, followed by more rambling. Lori and my mom glanced over at me, all I could do was shrug.

"Alright, alright. We don't need to argue about this. I'll see you in a few minutes." Gareth groaned again as he put his phone back in his pocket. "She can't even say good bye. Rude bitch." He mumbled under his breath before heavily sighing, running a hand through his hair.

"Are you ok?" I rubbed his shoulder, looking at him with worried eyes.

"I'm fine, she just can never be pleased with anything." Gareth glanced over at his daughter, who was having Carl act as her horse, crawling around on the grass while riding on his back. "Autumn Montana! Your mom is five minutes away, do you have your stuff ready?"

"Yes, Daddy! Do I have to go?"

He nodded sadly. "Yes, but I'm going to see you on Friday for Halloween, so don't worry."

"Are you ok, honey?" Carol asked, reaching her hand out to Gareth in an attempt to comfort him, but he didn't take it.

"Yeah, Momrol. I'm fine. I'm going to get her backpack." Gareth got up, barely registering that I was still on his lap before leaving. I watched Mary look down and shake her head in distress.

"She really is a heartless bitch."

I felt Gareth's pain and it made me very sad that he was so troubled over Theresa. "Um, I'm going to go talk to him?" I don't know why that came out as a question rather than an answer, perhaps I was waiting for them to veto it? To my surprise, Carol nodded as she wrapped her arms around Mary's shoulders.

"That's fine. Go ahead, dear."

"Alright, I'll be back. Excuse me." I got up and walked inside the house. I wasn't sure what to say to Gareth, I wasn't very experienced in this area since I never stayed with my dad as much as Autumn does, but all I could do was be genuine.

"Gareth?" I walked into Autumn Montana's room, looking around. Her room was pretty big for a toddler, painted in lavender with every single kind of doll and stuffed animal a person could think off, along with a pink vanity and T.V. with Disney decor on the walls, it was definitely a room fit for a little princess. Gareth was sitting on the floor against her bed, his knees propped up and his head down with a _Powerpuff Girls Z!_ backpack next to him. I sat down on the floor next to him and took his hand in both of mine, exactly what he had done yesterday. "Are you ok?"

With an exasperated breath, he lifted his head up and looked at me, frustration wearing heavily in his handsome features. "I'm sorry about that little scene. We both weren't prepared to have Autumn Montana, becoming a parent is a major eye opening experience. Even though we aren't together anymore, we still need to co-parent for the sake of our daughter, and she refuses to do that. I mean, I suggested we go to therapy to clear the air and try to formulate some kind of rapport, even though I despise her."

I was impressed that Gareth had such a mature and unselfish outlook on this, he was attempting to put his disdain for Theresa aside in order to give Autumn Montana the best upbringing. It made me think of all the _real_ parents I know. My mom, Rick and Lori, Hershel and Annette, Abraham, and now, Mary, Carol and Gareth. Not everybody was like my dad, only caring about their own motives.

"Gareth, I understand where you're coming from, but until she gets off the high horse she appears to be on, you're kind of alone on this. She needs to be the one to wake up and be a team with you, and in the mean time, all you can do is be the best dad for Autumn Montana. I've only been around for two days, but I can already tell that she's the apple of your eye. Don't let anybody judge you otherwise, you know what you're doing."

I could feel myself wanting to cry, everything Gareth was for Autumn was everything my dad wasn't for me. Unfortunately, as strong as I was, a part of me still longed for his acceptance, and I didn't know if I would ever get it.

Gareth nodded. "You're right. It's just super frustrating and all I want is for us to work together as much as we can, which is why we're both taking Autumn Montana trick-or-treating on Friday."

I smiled. "That sounds like a good idea."

"I hope it goes over well."

"I'm sure it will. Either way, all you need to think about is at the end you'll be seeing me shake my ass in whatever costume I end up going with." I licked my lips seductively, to which he shot me his infamous smirk that I was so crazy about.

"Hmm, well, I wouldn't mind a preview later on."

As he was about to kiss me, we heard a car horn blaring from outside. "Fuck, she's here already." We stood up, walking out of the room as he grabbed my hand. "Will you come with me? This is going to sound nuts, but I think it's important that you meet her."

I wasn't sure whether to feel weirded out or not, but I found myself nodding. "Of course I will. I understand." As of this moment, Theresa was like Brandi Glanville from _Real Housewives of Beverly Hills-_ I didn't need to meet her to know that I already _can't stand her._

**_This should be interesting, that's for sure._ **

**_Reviews are encouraged! Please read and follow and spread the word! NO FLAMES! :)_ **


	20. Modern Family, Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Melody meets Theresa, Gareth's ex-fiance and the mother of Autumn Montana, as well as Sam, the dimwitted pool boy she left Gareth for. Theresa is less than pleased that Gareth is now dating again, while Sam has no problem with it. Melody opens up to Gareth about her past with Shane, who confronts him a few days later at Woodbury. While she has yet to confirm their relationship on Facebook, Melody shows her affection for Gareth in a big way after the San Francisco Giants win the 2014 World Series, shocking everybody, but Rick most of all.

**Hi everybody! Two updates in one week? I'm on a roll! Sorry if it seems longer than usual, there was just a lot to cover! I'm still so stoked that MY GIANTS WON! BOO-YA!**

**Unlike the last chapter, this one has numerous mentions to past _Walking Dead_ characters. Theresa, Gareth's ex, was one of the Termites that Michonne based her head in at the church. I believe she also had Michonne's katana. Sam and Ana were the couple that Rick and Carol met in Season 4 that had all the fruit, Ana ended up being devoured by walkers and Sam met his demise at Terminus. For him, I combined him with how Robin Lord Taylor looks now to switch it up a bit. Luke was also in Season Four as one of the kids at the prison, the one that Daryl picked up in Episode Two when the virus first came to light. Annie, Lydia, and Brianna are all from the comics, but I'll get into them more when they make their first official appearance a few chapters from now, and Axel was at the prison in Season Three.**

**Next chapter will be the long awaited Halloween party, so prepare for other _Walking Dead_ cameos as well as OC cameos from my friend's stories! :)**

**I wanna give a special shout out to my beta reader texasbelle91, as well as AthenaLentz20, Chloe Cannon 3, DarylDixon'sgirl1985, Headwalkerz, He-Who-Shall-Live, Hey01ig, Lego Kid At Heart, Prettyprincess45, and SilverSun09. Please check out their stories, because they are freaking awesome! To Prettyprincess45, you never have to apologize for an OMG overload, I love it, as well as your enthusiasm for my story!**

**_Chapter Twenty: Modern Family, Part Two_ **

**_FIVE MINUTES LATER_ **

**_MELODY_ **

"Mommy!" Autumn Montana burst through the front door, holding onto Pipper and Elsa as she ran towards a silver 2014 Ford Fusion Hybrid.

"Autumn, don't run so fast!" Gareth held my hand as we walked behind her, once again feeling tense. I had a feeling he wanted to get this over with so we could go back to the wonderful time we were having with our families, even though we would now be minus Autumn Montana for the rest of the day.

Theresa got out of the front seat of the car and bent down, catching Autumn Montana as she ran forward into her arms. "Hi, baby! I missed you so much!" She picked Autumn Montana up and spun her around, giving her kisses as the young girl giggled. "Did you have a fun time at Daddy's?"

Autumn Montana nodded. "Yes, I did! Me and Daddy and Melody!"

The smile disappeared from Theresa's face. "Melody?" She glanced over at Gareth and me with a shocked expression. Even though Gareth told me he wasn't into blondes, I was expecting one that was petite and looked like she just stepped out of a magazine. Boy, was I wrong. Theresa had choppy, shoulder length jet black hair and small dark eyes, wearing a pair of hiking boots, denim short shorts, and a crop top sweatshirt, revealing a serious six pack. I couldn't tell if she was Mexican or Asian, maybe Filipino, but I suddenly felt self conscious as she checked me out.

"Yes, she's Daddy's girlfriend."

"Hey, little leaf bloomer!" A very skinny man with thin dyed black hair in a punked out Pete Wentz style and a bird nose with a Valley boy stoner voice walked around from the driver's seat of the car before Theresa could reply.

"Sam!" Autumn Montana hugged his legs.

My eyes widened when I heard her say his name, and I couldn't help but do a double take between him and Gareth.

" _That's_ Sam?"

Gareth nodded. "Yes, it is."

What was this chick thinking? She had a hot sex god like Gareth and she dumped him for this dimwitted pool boy?! Maybe that's why his hair is dark now, so she can think she's still with Gareth? I have no idea.

Theresa nudged Autumn Montana. "Autumn, go say good bye to Daddy, I need to talk to him before we leave. I have a surprise for you at home!"

"Really? I can't wait!" Autumn Montana turned around and ran back over to Gareth, who picked her up as soon as she landed in his arms. "Bye bye, Daddy. I love you."

"I love you, too, baby girl." He hugged her tightly to his chest and I could tell it was killing him that she had to leave. "Be good for Mommy, alright? I'm going to see you on Friday for Halloween with Violet."

"I can't wait!" Autumn Montana gave him a flurry of kisses before she looked over at me, holding her arms out. "Bye, Melody! I had so much fun with you, thanks for giving me Elsa!"

I could feel Theresa's glare on me, but I hugged Autumn Montana anyway, there really was no reason to deny her that. "Bye, sweetheart. I had fun, too. I'll see you soon." I gave her a kiss on the head before Gareth set her down.

"Hey, Autumn, look who's here." Sam smiled as he opened the backseat door, revealing a little boy with dark curly hair sitting in a car seat.

Autumn Montana turned around from saying good-bye to Violet and almost shrieked, running towards the car and giving the boy a hug. "Luke!"

"Whose that?" I asked Gareth.

"Sam's four year old son Luke with his ex Ana. He and A.M. have become best friends."

After securing both kids in their car seats, Theresa stormed over.

"Gareth! What is this Autumn tells me that you have a girlfriend?!" She put her hands on her hips, glaring at both of us.

Gareth addressed her calmly. "It's fairly recent, but yes, I do."

I knew I would regret doing this, but I decided to be mature and extended my hand forward. "Hi, I'm Melody-"

Theresa held her hand up, silencing me. "Yeah, I sincerely don't give a fuck who you are. How dare you bring some chick around our daughter without clearing it through me first?!"

He scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Don't give me that shit, Theresa, and don't talk to my girlfriend like that either. You've got a lot of nerve laying this on me, I wasn't the one that left our daughter downstairs while you fucked the pool boy in our bed with the door unlocked."

As if he had been called on cue, Sam walked up before Theresa could reply.

"Gareth! What's up, brother? How ya been?" Sam greeted him with a big smile and his hand up for a clasp/high five, but all Gareth did was stare at him.

"Hello, Sam."

Up close, Sam had a very nice pair of crystal blue eyes, but that was about it. He actually looked like a serial killer hillbilly. Sam glanced over at me and his eyes immediately fell on my chest.

"Holy shit, those are some massive titties!"

Theresa's mouth flew open in a gasp. "Sam!" She smacked him across the back of the head. "Shut up, you idiot!"

"That's a first, but I'm more commonly known for going by Melody. Hi there." I extended my hand forward, which he shook.

"Sam Lord. Nice to meet you. Wanna party sometime?" Sam winked, which made me uncomfortable that he was hitting on me in front of not only my new boyfriend, but also his girlfriend.

"SAM! DO NOT TALK TO HER! GET IN THE CAR, NOW!" Theresa snapped her fingers and pointed at the car, Sam merely shrugging her off.

"Chillberator, babe. Dude, Gareth, you're like a modern day Hugh Hefner bagging all the sweet tail that you do!" He cackled as he walked away. Besides being a potty-mouthed moron, Sam actually seemed pretty harmless. Had the circumstances been different, maybe we all could have gotten along, but fate didn't have that in the cards.

"You're overreacting, consider yourself lucky I even bothered introducing her to you."

"Whatever. It's almost the first of the month, I need my check and add another thirty to it, k?"

Gareth scoffed as he pulled out his checkbook. "Is that all you see out of me, dollar signs? Just forget the fact that I'm the father of your child, right?" He shook his head in disgust.

I absentmindedly glanced over and had to restrain my eyes from widening at the amount. Theresa gets twenty thousand a month in child support and she has the gall to be greedy? My dad made even more than Gareth and my mom never saw that kind of money.

"I'll give you another ten, but that's it. Tell that Saul Goodman of a lawyer that you have to fax over the monthly expenses by Friday."

Theresa huffed a strand of hair out of her face. "The fact that I have to give you a sheet of monthly expenses is pure bullshit."

"Then why do you need so much money all the time? Maybe if you weren't blowing it trying to buy our daughter, then you wouldn't keep asking for more. Why don't you tell Fall Out Boy over there to stop relying on you to be his sugar mama?" Gareth ripped off the check. "I'm not in the mood to argue over this, Theresa. If there's a problem, you can either approach me maturely or take it up with our lawyers."

Theresa snatched the check out of Gareth's hand, inspecting it. "This is perfect, thank you. F.Y.I., Sam is a workingman, he's inventing a new kind of pool cleaner. I'll see you on Friday. And you." She pointed over at me. "My daughter has one mother and one mother only, and that's me." With that, Theresa walked off.

The sound of snorting and a cold, wet nose to my feet interrupted me from my thoughts. I picked up a sad Violet and lifted her arm, waving to Autumn Montana as they drove off.

"I'm sorry she was such a bitch to you, Melody. You didn't deserve that. She's jealous." Gareth looked at me with a forlorn expression, almost one of guilt. Unlike the incident with Martin, he had actually been more vocal this time around in regards to standing up for me.

"Trust me, Gareth. No offense to the mother of your child, but I've been bullied by bitches like her for longer than I'd like to admit." Annie Soprano, Lydia White, Brianna Hamm, those were just a few of them, but the one that stood out the most was Kendall Donaghy, Aiden's now ex-girlfriend. She was the perfect blonde cheerleader that was calculating under the guise of being nice.

Gareth wrapped me up in his arms for a hug. "It's over now, baby, and it will never happen again. Not while I'm around, but you're a strong girl. I know you can defend yourself."

I nodded. "Yeah, you're right. I'm stubborn, it either works for me or against me."

He laughed as he gave me a kiss before grabbing my hand. "I don't think it's either/or, I think it's both, depending on the situation. Come on, let's go back inside. The game is going to start soon."

"Ok." I set Violet down, watching her trot ahead of us as we walked inside. "So this is it, huh? I'm really your girlfriend?"

"Ha, do you not want to be or something?"

I shook my head. "No! That's not it at all, of course I do. I guess it's just been a while since somebody has wanted me to be that it's shocking."

Gareth stopped walking, putting his hands on my shoulders. "Melody, stop worrying so much. This isn't a joke, I'm really into you and you are my girlfriend. Would it make you feel any better if we were "Facebook official"?" He asked with air quotes, yet I could tell he was holding back on both smirking _and_ rolling his eyes.

"You're really stuck on that, huh?" I giggled. "We'll see. I'll think about it." What the heck is wrong with me? Here I was, getting what I wanted- which was for this astoundingly fantastic guy to be my boyfriend- so why aren't I posting the pictures of us we've taken since our first date all over Instagram that I'm finally off the market? Sometimes I really was a walking contradiction. What am I going to do?

**_10:50 pm_ **

**_GARETH_ **

" ** _GARETH, YOU'RE A SEX GOD! AHH!"_**

Melody collapsed on top of me after I had brought her to the peak of nirvana for what was probably the eighth time in almost three hours.

After the Giants beat the Royals 4-12, now being ahead in the series by one win, Melody came up with the marvelous idea to have "victory sex". Considering how self conscious she had been last night, I was a little surprised, but there was no way I was going to deny a chance to be intimate with that beautiful body of hers. Perhaps Melody was coming out of her shell even further. She rolled off and onto her back, both of us trying to catch our breath.

"Wow, I've never done it in a chair before, or the lotus position. Now whenever I do yoga, I'll think of you." Melody looked over at me and smiled. I laughed, pulling her in for a sexy kiss.

"For somebody who claims to be in a grey area sexually, you certainly are limber."

"Ten years of ballet, seven of acro." Melody looked up at me, her hands on my chest. "It doesn't turn you off that I'm so inexperienced?"

I scoffed, shaking my head. "Absolutely not! Don't be so hard on yourself, hun. You're not as inexperienced as you think. Besides, I like it. I get to teach you everything I know, you just have to promise not to teach it to anybody else."

"Not likely, I'm too hot for my teacher." She giggled, kissing me repeatedly before staring into my eyes again, her gorgeous green grey orbs calm and happy. "It's been so long since I've felt this good. I mean, it's not like all I've had was bad sex, but it's never been this sensual or tender."

"How so?" I propped my elbow up, resting my head in my hand as I looked down on her fingers skating in different shapes across my chest.

"Well, like I said, Ben couldn't get it up most of the time. We only officially had sex twice, it was surprisingly decent, but not enough to get me to the grand finale. Randall was just maladroit, mainly from being stoned or drunk or both. I don't think he noticed that I was faking for the most part, he insisted that I had an orgasm. Out of all of them, Shane was the worst, he thought he was some lothario. I don't know why I kept going back for more, I was so numb from losing Aiden it blinded me from realizing that things were masochistic. One minute he'd tell me I was a fat ass and the next he told me how he loved fucking me, or in his case, pogo sticking."

"When did it finally stop?" I didn't want to pressure Melody, but I was relieved that she was finally opening up to me more.

"Carl's birthday party back in July. I was in the kitchen and he cornered me. Shane was hammered to shit, babbling all this nonsense about how he loved me and wanted to marry me. I was trying to push him off, and then he said that I needed to stop fantasizing over Aiden's corpse and that Rick would never leave Lori, and something in me snapped. I clawed his neck and he slapped me across the face, that's how I got away. I've changed my number and blocked him from sending me pictures of his tiny dime roll dick, but he's still cornered me twice, once at Rick and Lori's and again the other day at Woodbury. He threatened to tell you everything, Gareth. It almost sounded like he wanted to blackmail me. Had I not kneed him in the balls and gotten away, he probably would have raped me. As far as I'm concerned, Shane Walsh is nothing but a psychopath."

She heavily sighed, and I knew she was trying not to cry. My heart broke for what she had endured while my blood boiled at how loathsome Shane had been to Melody. What was worse was that he clearly couldn't take the hint.

**_Well, that needs to change._ **

I lifted Melody's chin so I could look into her eyes, putting my hands on her face. "Babydoll, I promise that he'll never bother you again." She opened her mouth to protest, but I shook my head. "No. Don't tell me not to do anything, I can't let something like what happened at Woodbury happen again. We're together now, what kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't protect you from creeps like him?"

Her only response was to wrap her arms around my neck as I returned the embrace. "I'll try to approach it like I did with Daryl, civilized, but I have a feeling he won't be as mature."

"There's a difference there. Daryl may be a porn star, but he is a gentleman. Shane's just a prick."

"You can say that again. I could really go for some of that birthday cake ice cream, what about you?"

Melody nodded with a smile. "Mmhmm. Sounds excellent. "

"Alright, I'll be back." I grabbed my boxer briefs and put them on before stroking her cheek. "Don't fall asleep on me now."

"I won't."

"Don't lose that smile, either."

I was almost out the door when she called out. "Thank you." Glancing over my shoulder, the sight of Melody nearly took my breath away. How the sheets clung to her silky skin, perfectly outlining the curves I was becoming obsessed with, a beautiful smile on her face with her hair flipped over one shoulder.

"For what?"

"For being you."

Her smile widened and I felt like my heart was made out of wax, because I could feel it melting. Melody had such a dazzling effect on me and I would do everything I had to keep this girl as mine.

"Of course, honey pie."

 

I hummed "This Love" by Maroon 5 as I strolled into the kitchen, seeing that my moms and Alex were sitting around the table, sharing the chocolate chip pumpkin bread that Charlotte made.

"Hey, guys. How's it going?"

Alex started snickering. "Big bro, I don't know how you do it, but you need to teach me."

"How what? Moms, what's he talking about?" I asked as I opened the freezer door.

"He's talking about your "skills" in the bedroom." Mom said in air quotes.

"We could hear you two all night." Carol added.

I looked back at them, feeling the embarrassment sink in. "Oh, fuck. Are you serious?"

"Melody definitely was." Alex cleared his throat as he started imitating her in a girly voice. "Oh, God, Yes! Gareth! Gareth, I love how I can feel you in my stomach, you're so deep. Keep going!" He bowed his head and guffawed, his immaturity at twenty-five years old shining through. "Dude, you pounded that pussy!"

Mom slammed her hand down on the table. "Alexander Tate! Language!"

"Don't mind him, Mom. He's stoned." I grabbed the ice cream and a spoon as I shut the door. "Tip number one, little brother: Lay off the pot."

"I'd listen to him, Alex. It sounds like he more than knows what he's doing." Carol winked, making me smirk.

"What can I say? I lucked out by having the bigger bone ranger."

Alex stopped snickering and got very quiet, knowing I was right. "That's so not true! I'm proportionate with my size, right, Mommy?"

Mom nodded, running a hand through his hair. "Of course, honey. You have nothing to worry about."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, man. By the way, don't talk about my girlfriend like that again. Night, everybody." I walked out of the kitchen.

"Good night, sweetie. Hey, Gareth?"

"Yes, Mommy?" I poked my head out from the hallway.

"I love seeing you so happy since you started up with Melody. Please make sure nothing ruins what you have. How you're feeling for her, I can just tell by the way Melody looks at you that she feels the same way."

I smiled at her words. "I know, and don't worry, I won't." I was going to make sure nothing interfered with our relationship. If anything, I would do what I could to maintain its strength.

**_Woodbury Communications, Chatsworth, Wednesday, October 29th, 11:11 am_ **

I stood in front of Shane's door, calming my brain down and going over everything I wanted to say. Even though I promised Melody I'd keep this civil, it all depended on Shane. One wrong word uttered and he'd taste blood. With a heavy sigh, I opened his door and walked in to see him going over some documents.

"Hey, Shane."

He looked up, almost surprised to see me. "Steve Jobs, Jr. Hey, what brings you around?"

"There are some things I need to discuss with you." I closed the door and watched him walk over to his office bar, breaking out a tumbler and some scotch.

"What's it regarding? Want a drink?" He asked as he poured the cool liquid after adding some ice cubes. "I'm gonna need it for the Audi meeting later today."

I shook my head. "No, I'm good. It's not about the meeting. It's about Melody Silverstone-Blake."

Shane stopped sipping his drink and started choking as soon as he heard Melody's name, slamming the glass down on the bar in order to pound his chest to stop choking.

"What about her? She's Lori's baby sister, Rick's sister in law…"

"And the daughter of Phillip Blake, the company's original founder. Look," I walked toward him with coolness in my step, narrowing my eyes at him. "Shane, don't play dumb. We both know who her father is and we both know what you did with her." I inwardly cringed saying that, but it was the only way to get through to him.

Shane flashed me a wicked smirk. "Yeah, so what?"

"So what is that we're together now and I don't like what I've been hearing. I would appreciate if you would leave her alone. What you two had is over, it's best if we all move on from it instead of furthering the tension." I decided the best approach was to be precise, except for his smirk only widened and he cackled, indicating that he didn't comprehend a single word I had said.

"Are you jealous because I got to fuck her first? You must be, we both know a little boy like you could never satisfy her the way I can, because I'm a real man. Oh, yeah, kid. Melody was really something, too. Could have been more if she dropped some pounds, but I absolutely loved sucking on those mega sized titties as I rammed her sweet little-"

I hauled back and punched Shane square in the nose, causing it to bleed and catching him off guard. Before he could react, I backed him up against the wall, my forearm tightly clenched on his throat, glaring at him in darkness. He couldn't be reasoned with, so I was going to treat him like the dog he was.

"Listen, Shane, because I don't want to have to come back and repeat myself. Melody is _my_ girlfriend and I don't want to hear about you trying to feel up on or blackmail her. That kind of thing isn't going to fly with me around. You took advantage of her, and I won't let anything like that happen again. Don't call her, don't look at her, don't even let her face pop up in your mind. If she tells me that you harassed her again, I'll come back and do much worse. Melody will eventually tell Rick and Lori what you did, show them the text messages and the pictures, so I wouldn't bother telling him if I were you. You and I both know that I'm too valuable of an asset to this company for you to rat me out, we also both know that when Rick finds out, he'll do much worse to you than I did, same for Lori."

My heart was beating out of control, my face was heated, and I already knew I had a seething glare, because Shane looked terrified. A part of me did worry that he would actually rat me out, but I did what I had to because my love for Melody was just that strong. I let Shane go and walked off, my adrenaline pumping, but feeling a bit better about the situation. It shouldn't have gone down the way it had, but he kind of left me no choice…

**_The Grimes Residence, 8:07 pm_ **

"See, I told you Bumgarner would bring it home for us." I looked over at Melody trying to steady her breathing as she sat on the edge of the couch, clasping her hands together to the point of white knuckling.

"I know, if only they had done it last night, we wouldn't be here tonight. Feel my heartbeat." She put my hand to her chest, her heartbeat had increased over the past almost three hours. Last night, the Giants had lost to the Royals 0-10, evening the series, and tonight was Game 7, the finale game with the winner taking the coveted title.

So far, the Giants had a 2-0 lead until the bottom of the second with a Billy Butler single and an Alex Gordon double, only to tie it up with an Omar Infante sacrifice fly. What blew us all away was Joe Panik made a diving stop on a ball Eric Hosmer hit up the middle and flipped up the ball from his glove to throw to Brandon Crawford at second base, who then threw it to Brandon Belt on first. Michael Morse scored a 0-2 pitch to bring Pablo "Panda" Sandoval in from an infield single. Now, Madison Bumgarner had been brought in the fifth on two days rest to protect the one point lead, and it was looking good for us.

"Whoa, babe, you gotta calm down. I can only imagine what it will be like if this were your actual child."

"I'd probably give myself a heart attack." Melody looked over at me and laughed.

"Honey, if they don't win tonight, that's ok, but it looks like they will." Charlotte said, trying to comfort her. We were all at Rick and Lori's house, along with Beth, Noah, Alex, and Sophia.

"They have to win, or I'll be out twelve grand." Alex said, frantically checking his phone.

"I told you not to bet on the games, Alex! Bad juju and same for wearing the Giants insignia! Why are you all wearing it? Doesn't anybody listen to me about it being a jinx?!" Melody looked around. With the exception of her, Beth, Noah, Rick, and Charlotte, we were all decked out in Giants shirts.

"You're putting way too much on this, Melondrop. Relax." Lori squeezed her shoulder, which seemed to relax Melody a bit.

"Maggie just texted me. She said Youngbloodz is completely packed tonight." Beth said.

"I bet."

"Hey, Melody."

"Yes?" She glanced over at me as I grabbed her hand.

"That situation we discussed a few days ago, you have nothing to worry about. It's been taken care of."

Her facial expression went from confused to relieved and she embraced me with a huge smile on her face. "Thank you, Gareth. Thank you so much."

I rubbed her back and smiled before pulling away and giving her a quick peck. "You're welcome."

"What the heck just happened?!" Carl shouted, causing us all to look over at the TV.

"Alex Gordon just got to third base, but it looks like Boschy is going to try and challenge it." Noah explained.

**_MELODY_ **

"Oh, my gosh. Please don't let it count, please don't let it count, please don't let it count!" I grabbed Gareth's hand, vaguely seeing the color draining away the harder I squeezed. Lori had calmed down considerably, but all the Silverstones were avid sports nuts. My uncle Axel spends his days locked in his room taping every single sporting event and later on screaming at the television, but I'm not that extreme.

"Don't worry, it's been ruled out as a base hit and error combination." Rick clarified, which made me take a deep breath.

"Thank goodness. Ok, come on, Mad Bum, no more snot rockets. One more strike out and it's over. Bring it home, bring it home!"

My adrenaline was seriously above capacity. I'm so glad that Gareth and his family know what it's like to endure the suffering of being a San Francisco Giants fan in Southern California, where the only team that mattered were the Los Angeles Dodgers, it's what had really bonded us.

"By the way, Melody, I sent you a relationship request two days ago. How come you haven't approved it?" Gareth whispered, nudging me.

"You did? Uh, well…" My voice trailed off as I looked over at the TV, the game providing me with the perfect Segway. To hear that he had confronted Shane really touched my heart, so I don't know why I hadn't confirmed our relationship yet.

We watched Bumgarner throw to Salvador Pérez, who hit a foulpop and Panda ran out, catching the ball as he fell to the ground on his back with a jolly smile on his face. My own face broke out in a huge smile as my eyes widened, allowing happy tears to fall.

" ** _OH, MY GOD! WE WON, WE WON, WE WON!"_**

We all jumped up from the couch, screaming and cheering, barely watching the San Francisco Giants run out onto the field and swarm each other in a sea of hugs. Beth and Sophia started undoing the confetti poppers, the room raining in colors while Noah and Alex sprayed each other with beer, even Rick was excited.

"We did it, baby! I told you we'd win!"

After hugging Lori and my mom, I looked over at Gareth, that wonderful smile on his face, and this high was one I always wanted to be on. Without thinking or caring what anybody else thought or had to say, I jumped in his arms, sending him back on the couch as I took his face in my hands and kissed him with my entire soul, as hard as I could. I was so absorbed in the kiss that I didn't even notice that everybody else was watching.

**_RICK_ **

I was a little shocked at Melody's sudden display of affection towards Gareth with that kiss. Sure, the few times I had seen them it was little touches here and there, but nothing like this. Melody pulled away, her face shaded pink as she watched Gareth with a goofy yet dazed grin on his face, to which she giggled and kissed him again. If anybody had any doubt about them being together, it was certainly gone now. It was obvious that they only had eyes for each other. The problem was, I'm not too sure how I feel about that…

**_Reviews are encouraged! Please read and follow and spread the word! NO FLAMES! :)_ **


	21. Monster Mash Bash, Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Melody is still having difficulty saying that Gareth is her boyfriend, which everybody seems to notice, including Gareth himself. Merle sets the record straight to Gareth for if anything happens to Melody. Melody is unsure about how Gareth confronted Shane.

**Hi everybody! It's Oscar AND _Walking Dead_ Sunday! I thought it was hilarious when last year Chris said "You know what? Screw the Oscars!" on _Talking Dead._ As most of you know, my ultimate goal is to get there, but I'm not as excited about them this year, which is probably why I posted this awesome new chapter today! I'll be posting a pictures of the costumes, follow me on Instagram rocknrollprincess131! I'd like to give an extra special shout out to bluecrush611, who helped me come up with Daryl's costume! ;)**

**Like I said last time, there will be even more _Walking Dead_ cameos, as well as Lindsey and Jared, who are OCS from bluecrush611's story _Solace._**

**I wanna give a special shout out to my beta reader texasbelle91, as well as AthenaLentz20, Chloe Cannon 3, DarylDixon'sgirl1985, Headwalkerz, He-Who-Shall-Live, Hey01ig, Lego Kid At Heart, Prettyprincess45, and SilverSun09. Please check out their stories, because they are freaking awesome!**

**_DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NOR HAVE ANY AFFILIATIONS WITH KISS THE GIRL, OLD TIME ROCK N ROLL, OR SHUT UP AND DANCE. ALL PROPERTIES OWNED BY ALAN MENKEN, BOB SEGER, AND WALK THE MOON, RESPECTIVELY. I ONLY OWN MY OWN ORIGINAL IDEAS AND CHARACTERS._ **

**_Chapter Twenty One: Monster Mash Bash, Part One_ **

**_The Grimes Residence, Friday, October 31st, 7:45 pm_ **

**_MELODY_ **

" ** _Sha-la-la-la-la-la_**

**_My, oh, my_ **

**_Look at the boy too shy_ **

**_He ain't gonna kiss the girl_ **

**_Sha-la-la-la-la-la_ **

**_Ain't that sad_ **

**_Ain't it shame, too bad_ **

**_You gonna miss the girl"_ **

I sighed, half singing/half humming as I applied Beth's zombie makeup on her face. The Monster Mash Bash is finally here, and I couldn't be any more thrilled. Lori and I had been up since seven thirty this morning, making last minute pickups and helping with the arrangements to ensure everything was perfect, which it was thanks to us.

Inside and out, the house was draped in darkness and faux cobwebs with spooky sound effects of roaring thunder and howling ghosts, bubbles filled with fog as well as dried ice on the floor, and glowing pumpkins all around. Dracula's Tomb and Dr. Frankenstein stood in the foyer while the family room was adorned with glow in the dark decorations. The dining room served as the "Potions Cellar" with lustrous potion bottles between the multiple buffet plates of food.

Despite the rain from earlier, we still went with having the pool drained so the light up floor could be installed for the night, with the DJ booth set up on the deck by the pool. Multicolored twinkle lights hung from the palm trees and around the massive three-story maze shaped water garden, which had also been drained.

Lastly, Abraham and Eugene were serving as bouncers in front of the house to check people off the guest list and pat them down. It was surreal that we managed to throw all this together and still have time to catch the World Series victory parade in San Francisco for the Giants.

Beth smirked. "Ok, what is up with you, Lyric? You have been practically floating around for the past almost two hours with a grin on your face and singing Disney songs."

"It's Halloween, Bethy! Of course I'm happy, I've been looking forward to this party all year. Don't smile, you're supposed to look terrifying, remember?" Beth's Halloween costume this year was Queen Elsa from _Frozen_ , but since it would be so popular, I concocted the brilliant idea of switching it up by making her a zombified Elsa. It had been a long time since I had applied horror makeup, but it was coming out fantastically. Rotting flesh, bruised eyes, some open wounds, she totally looked the part and I was really proud of the job I had done even if I was a little rusty.

"I don't think its just Halloween, I think somebody's got a certain someone on their mind… maybe your Moondoggie?"

I laughed as I cleaned off my brushes. "My grandma is such a hoot. Of course he's on my mind, he's always on my mind, the night is day and the day is night with that man in my life." I tightened my kimono so I could start applying my makeup. "Is my bandana even?"

"Yes, it is, but Melody, how come you won't say he's your boyfriend? Isn't that what you wanted?"

"Yeah, sure. I don't know, I'm shy?"

"Ha! If you're shy, then I'm a mouse. Not buying it at all, especially after that kiss. There's no denying that you two are together now." She gave me a look as she texted on her phone.

Truth be told, I really _didn't_ know why I was being so secretive that Gareth was now my boyfriend. I had changed a lot for the better since we started up, what am I so afraid of? Maybe because a part of me is still worried that this is too good to be true, that once I embrace it things will turn to shit like almost everything in my life the past few years?

"I'm happy, I really am, and I'm going to say something I haven't even told my sister or mom. I'm in love with him, Beth. Really, starry-eyed, kiss is my elixir, laugh when I think about in love with Gareth Mandel." I wanted to tell them, but I knew they would get overly excited, which I didn't want them to think I was leading anybody on since I'm indecisive.

Beth smiled, only for it to quickly fade away. "But you're worried that if you accept your relationship with Gareth that your feelings for Aiden wouldn't have mattered."

I nodded while evening out my foundation. "Yes. When I'm with him, there's not a single doubt about how much I love him, it's when I'm not that the second-guessing starts. We can't be together all the time, this has to stop. Do you think a person is capable of loving two people?"

"I do. Everything happens for a reason. It was tragic that Aiden died, but if he hadn't, Lori wouldn't have set you up with Gareth to help you out. Rick never would have asked him if Gareth hadn't have caught Theresa cheating and split up with her. Aiden wouldn't want you to be sad, he'd want you to move on and be happy, and you have. I know you love Gareth, and I know you love Autumn Montana, too. You gotta just take a leap of faith with this one, Melody."

I knew Beth was right, because after all the shitty relationships I've been in, didn't I deserve a good one? If I did, why wasn't I entirely convinced?

As I was about to answer, a familiar piano riff started playing from outside. Noah was obviously doing a sound check, but why "Old Time Rock n' Roll"? I glanced over at Beth, who shrugged, and before I could ask her what was going on, my bedroom door flew open. The second piano riff played and Gareth slid into my room, wearing a pink button up shirt, white socks, and white briefs, just like Tom Cruise in _Risky Business_. I let out a happy gasp when he turned around, holding a candlestick holder and rocking a pair of black Ray Bans as he proceeded to perform the song and dance.

" ** _Just take those old records off the shelf_**

**_I'll sit and listen to 'em by myself_ **

**_Today's music ain't got the same soul_ **

**_I like that old time rock 'n' roll_ **

**_Don't try to take me to a disco_ **

**_You'll never even get me out on the floor_ **

**_In ten minutes I'll be late for the door_ **

**_I like that old time rock 'n' roll_ **

**_Still like that old time rock 'n' roll_ **

**_That kind of music just soothes the soul_ **

**_I reminisce about the days of old_ **

**_With that old time rock 'n' roll"_ **

I couldn't help but laugh the whole time he was rocking out and saw that Beth had been taping it on her phone as well.

"Oh, my god! You seriously just did that?"

He nodded with a proud smile on his face. "Yep. Not only that, but I did it better than Tom Cruise, and it only took almost three weeks! I knew you'd get a kick out of it. Beth and Noah helped me plan it out."

"You learned this for me?" I felt touched that he would go out of the way to do something so outrageous and silly just for me.

"Of course I did." Gareth picked me up and spun me around, making me giggle as he kissed my face all over. "I'd do anything for you, you're my girl." He stroked my cheek as I blushed before looking over my shoulder at Beth. "Holy shit! Beth, you look terrifying!"

"Thanks, I'm a zombified Elsa. Melody did a great job."

"Incredible is more like it. Why aren't you dressed, babe?"

"I am, it's under here." I tugged at my kimono. "I gotta finish getting ready. Wait for me?"

"Sure. Hey," He grabbed my arm, looking at me with a hint of worry. "You ok? You seem kind of distracted."

"No, I'm fine. I've been running around all day, but I'm good. I'm happy to see you." I cupped his face and gave him a quick peck, but I was upset that he knew I was feeling down, because I don't like it when my mood is noticeable. I better snap out of it and save my dilemma for later on, because tonight is for fun.

**_TEN MINUTES LATER_ **

**_GARETH_ **

"Oooh, Wonderboy…"

I looked up from my phone as I laid on Melody's bed, and my jaw dropped. Melody was leaned against the bathroom doorframe wearing a red stretch knit spaghetti strap dress with a white polka dotted hemline and mini bow in the center of the bust, along with a dark blue tie up shirt with white polka dotted collar and cuffs, a red and white bandana being worn as a headband, a black patent leather belt around her waist with three plastic tools, and white platform heels. Bottom line, she looked extremely sexy, especially with her smoky eyes and red apple lips.

"Wow."

"You like it? You look like one of those cartoons that make that "AOUGA!" sound with the bulging heart eyes." She winked and motioned me over with her finger.

"Like it? I love it." I walked over and put my hands on hips, stroking them. "You look smoking hot, Melody. I'm glad this is the costume you went with."

"Thanks, and I am loving yours as well." She wrapped her arms around my neck, looking up with a small smile. "I'm sorry about earlier, I'm just a little out of it, but I'm good now. Don't worry about me, ok?"

I wasn't sure how much of the truth she was telling me, but I could tell something was on her mind. Before I did the "Old Time Rock n' Roll" bit, I overheard Beth telling her to take a leap of faith, and I knew it was about me. I couldn't help but wonder if she was still on the fence about us being together? She hadn't even approved the relationship request on Facebook. Perhaps she needed some time?

"I understand, I don't want you worrying yourself, either. We're going to have an awesome time tonight." I leaned in and kissed Melody before hugging her, hoping that she would see the sincerity in what we have.

"Yes, we are! This is the party of the year!" The doorbell rang and she squealed. "Come on, let's go!" Melody grabbed my hand, leading the way downstairs with a huge smile on her face, and I was already starting to feel a bit better. "How was trick-or-treating? Autumn Montana looked beautiful as Belle and nice touch having Violet be Chip."

"That was cute, it was Mom's idea. It actually went better than I thought it would. Theresa wasn't a bitch, the only problem was Sam and Luke came with us, but Autumn Montana was thrilled. Wait until you see everybody."

Melody had told Sophia that she could bring her friend Summer Lintz to the party so Patrick wouldn't feel left out, except I was worried that this would end disastrously. Summer Lintz struck me as the "easy" type who only dated the popular jocks that were stupid assholes and drove cool cars. Tonight, for instance, she was dressed as what Alex called "Slutty Alice in Wonderland". Her costume consisted of a tight blue and white satin corset outlined in black that pushed up whatever boobs she just got and tied in the back, along with a blue tutu, thigh high stockings with black bows on them, black patent leather spike heels, and a black bow hair clip in her blonde hair.

"Hey, guys! Wow, I'm loving your costumes!" Sophia was dressed as the girl from the Sia "Chandelier" music video, Alex was Magnum, P.I., and Albert was Hugh Hefner. Talk about a motley crew.

"Thanks, but damn, Melody, you're looking fine!" Albert whistled.

"Ha, thank you, Barney Stinson." Her mood had done a complete 360 as she greeted everybody with all smiles. "Sophia, you should totally put your own spin on "Chandelier" before everybody else arrives. I bet you could out-dance Maddie Ziegler."

"Hmmm, maybe I will. Sounds like fun, thanks, Melody!" Sophia elbowed Summer. "See? I told you she was really pretty and sweet, Summer."

All Summer did was shrug. "Meh, I guess." From what my sister had told our moms, Summer had a pretty big crush on me, so she was jealous of Melody, which actually made me proud.

"We're sorta like 7-Eleven. We're not always doing business, but we're always open and have all the good stuff to party."

"I may be as pretty as an angel, but I sure as hell ain't one."

We turned around to see Daryl walking in wearing jeans, a black T-shirt, and a navy blue pea coat with two fake 92 FS Spring Beretta pistols in a shoulder holster donning black sunglasses and rosary beads. Next to him was a guy wearing black pants and a vest with lots of buckles and a long maroon leather coat, not to mention he had a short Mohawk and his skin was entirely blue with a few black smudge marks on his face.

"Murphy MacManus and Yondu?! Ok, _now_ it's a party, _Boondock Saints_ and _Guardians of the Galaxy_ style!" Melody ran over and threw her arms around Yondu, who picked her up and happened to look over at me when he set her down. "This was the big surprise, Uncle Merle? I love it! You too, Daryl, you've got Murphy down pat, especially with the Aequitas tattoo."

Daryl shrugged, flashing a cocky smirk. "What can I say? I hear all the time how I look like the sonofabitch, so why not go all out?"

"It sure was. You look beautiful, darlin'. Is that the boyfriend?" Merle nodded his head and pointed at me.

Before she could reply, I noticed somebody in a Jason Voorhees costume standing behind and tapping her on the shoulder. When Melody turned around, she let out a blood-curdling scream and jumped back when the masked figure tried to hug her.

" ** _OH, MY GOD! GET AWAY FROM ME!"_**

She grabbed onto me, practically trembling. The masked figure stood in front of her and finally pulled off his mask, revealing an African American man with dark facial hair and a smile on his face.

"Surprise!"

Melody stopped shaking and started to laugh. "Morgan Jones?! Where have you been?! It's been years!" She lightly smacked him on the arm before giving him a hug.

"It was a surprise."

We turned around to see Rick and Lori walk in from the kitchen with an African American woman in a long shimmering halter gown with white satin gloves and a boy around Carl's age dressed like Michael Jackson in the "Thriller" music video. Regardless of the fact that they were in costume, I recognized them as Jenny and Duane Jones, Morgan's wife and son.

Morgan is in charge of Woodbury's East Coast offices in New York, Rick and Shane have known him since high school and they all went to UCSD together. While I've only met Jenny and Duane once, I've met Morgan several times. He had moments where he can be a bit intense, but overall he's very intelligent and has an terrific business sense.

"Jenny! Duane! It's been forever!" Melody walked over and hugged them both. "Duane, you are absolutely rocking the "Thriller"! Jenny, you're an immaculate conception of Diana Ross in _Lady Sings The Blues_!"

While Melody was busy catching up with them, I turned back to Merle. "Yes, I am her boyfriend. Gareth Mandel." I walked forward and shook his hand.

"Merle Dixon. Nice Hello Kitty you sent, you sure have manners."

He had a husky Southern accent and I could sense an aura of toughness, but he was somebody I wouldn't mind throwing back a beer or smoking a joint with. I was about to walk off when Merle pulled me in, giving me a menacing glare, and I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Daryl was pretending not to watch.

"Let me fill you in on 'sumthin. I'm _very_ good friends with Mark Geragos and Pat Harris, the defense attorneys on the Scott Peterson case. You try anything fresh with Melody, they will make sure I get off for murder. Nobody will ever find the body. That girl is like the daughter I never had, and I'll be dammed if some prick with legs hurts her."

His speech made all the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, this guy meant business. Merle stepped back with a stern expression before doubling over in laughter.

"Oh, my god! Boy, you can't take everything everybody says so seriously! You should have seen the look on your face! Did you catch that, little brother?"

"Yeah, I sure did. He looked like he was gonna shit his pants!" Daryl slapped his older brother on the back, laughing right along with him.

"Hey, you only get one, but dually noted." I snapped my fingers and pointed at them before walking over to greet Morgan and his family. This was definitely going to be a long night...

**_ALMOST THREE HOURS LATER_ **

**_LORI_ **

"Mom! I feel like we've hardly talked all night!" I walked over and embraced my mother, who was dressed as Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. "You're one hot mama tonight, lady!"

"I'm not entirely flat busted, my dear! How's my granddaughter doing in there? More importantly, how are you moving in that costume?" Mom put her hand on my stomach and smiled.

Rick and I decided to do a couples costume, I was Silk Spectre II and he was Nite Owl, both from the graphic novel/film _Watchmen_. My outfit consisted of a long straightened dark brown wig, a black and yellow long sleeved polyester zip up short jumpsuit with thigh high black latex boots and a silver belt while Rick's was spandex head to toe resembling the Batsuit. My feet were kind of killing me, but all for a good look, right? Besides, beauty is pain.

"She's dancing in my stomach to the music. So far this pregnancy has been smooth sailing."

"I'm so glad, we wouldn't want the same problems resurfacing from your pregnancy with Carl. I still can't believe I'm old enough to have grandchildren! I remember when I was Melody's age."

"Time flies! Speaking of Melody." We glanced over to see her and Gareth tearing up the dance floor with Beth and Stefon to "Locked Out of Heaven" by Bruno Mars.

"I'm not sure if I ever told you what a wonderful idea you had setting Melody up with Gareth, sweetheart. Aiden's death affected all of us, and no matter how hard we tried, nobody could get through. He saved her from herself in a way, don't you think?"

I watched Gareth twirl Melody out and back in again, where they both started laughing before he leaned in and kissed her.

"I do, Mom, I really do. She hasn't said it yet, but I know she loves him."

Mom nodded. "I agree, and not just that, but you can see how much he loves her, too. Now, when do you think either one of them will say it first?"

I shrugged. "I'm not sure, but it won't be her. You taught us better, and mother knows best."

"That's right."

"Oh, my god! Who is that hot guy in the Atlanta Braves uniform?!" Melody walked up to us, pointing to a couple standing at the bar talking to Rick. The man was dressed in a #10 Atlanta Braves baseball player and the blonde next to him was wearing a Supergirl costume.

"That's Carl's baseball coach Jared Scott and his wife Lindsey. She was the boy's eight-grade English teacher last year."

I had invited Jared and Lindsey, who I also knew pretty well from the PTA at the middle school and now high school. They were both yuppies, popular amongst the students, and very down to earth in general, so I knew everybody would get a real kick out of them being there. They had a little boy named Travis and Lindsey was also four months pregnant with a baby girl, so it was nice having another expectant mother at the party.

"He looks just like Steve McGarrett on _Hawaii 5-0_ and she's a dead ringer for Lauren Conrad!"

"You mean Alex O'Loughlin?" Mom asked, to which Melody nodded. "You're always able to find a celebrity doppelganger for people."

"Yes, the only thing that's missing is the half sleeve of tattoos and the Australian accent! Why haven't I seen him before? Look at that ass!" She cupped the corners of her mouth. "McGarrett! Steve McGarrett!" Melody started laughing when Jared and Lindsey looked over, to which she waved.

I couldn't help but chuckle at my sister, who was always so boy crazy. "Melody, he's married with a baby due and you have a boyfriend. By the way, when are you going to change your Facebook status? I mean, you've slept with Gareth, doesn't that make you two official?"

Once the words flew out of my mouth, Melody's eyes widened and I knew mine had as well.

"Oh, shit." I mumbled under my breath.

"Melody, you and Gareth had sex?" Mom looked at both of us, slightly mortified. After that kiss two nights ago, I had finally gotten Melody to spill the beans about what happened during her two day sleepover at Gareth's house, even though her glow on Sunday was a dead giveaway.

Melody nervously laughed, scratching the back of her head and looking all around. "Uh, yeah... I know you said three months, but I just couldn't wait any longer, Mommy! He's too damn hot, and soooo sexy. Seriously, Gareth Mandel is a holy sex god, he's got these huge hands and also he's got a-."

"Alright, Melody. We get it. No need to delve further into details, we don't want to give Mom a stroke."

While I thought Gareth was cute, I don't know if I'd call him hot. He was handsome in a boyish way, but not really my type. I like my men to look like men, like Rick does.

Mom sighed with a bit of a forlorn expression. "You're an adult now, just please be careful. Why haven't you changed your Facebook status, isn't that what you wanted?"

"I'm gonna change it tomorrow, but why haven't we met your boyfriend? You've been way secretive about it! Is he in the mafia or the C.I.A.?" Melody started giggling, I hadn't noticed until now that she was tipsy.

"Actually, you have a point, Melody. I've been thinking about it and I'm ready. Why don't we all go out to dinner next week after the big Mikimoto presentation, just us couples and I'll introduce you?"

Melody and I looked over at each other before simultaneously nodding.

"Yeah, sure."

"Ok. Mommy, take a picture of us." Melody handed her iPhone to Mom before wrapping an arm around my waist as I wrapped mine around her shoulder.

"Smile, girls!"

We looked at the picture after she gave Melody her phone back.

"Oh, I love it!"

"It's so cute!" Melody looked up at me and smiled. "Matching Facebook profile pics?"

I nodded. "Definitely."

Even though we hadn't said anything aloud, we both had the same thought about Mom, it was part of the pseudo-telepathy of sisterhood.

**_Who is this guy and what is she hiding?_ **

**_TWENTY MINUTES LATER_ **

**_GARETH_ **

"Babydoll, you are on fire tonight!" I held on to Melody's waist, pulling her closer while she started slinking downward from behind, flipping her hair as she gyrated on me and sang along to "Shut Up and Dance" by Walk The Moon.

**_"Oh, don't you dare look back_ **

**_Just keep your eyes on me."_ **

**_I said, "You're holding back,"_ **

**_She said, "Shut up and dance with me!"_ **

**_This woman is my destiny_ **

**_She said, "Oh, oh, oh,_ **

**_Shut up and dance with me."_ **

We had been on and off the dance floor for probably the past two hours amongst the incognito sea of costumes. We were both tipsy, Melody really was a lightweight from all those Smirnoff Ice Peach Bellinis. Even before they kicked in, Melody absolutely knew how to move and shake that sexy bod, especially in that costume. Needless to say, it was really turning me on.

"That's because you light me up, hot lips!" She turned around, wrapping an arm around my neck and pulled me down, pressing our lips together as she slipped her tongue in my mouth. I gripped her sides as our tongues began to cross back and forth. Melody had been pretty generous with the PDA tonight, which I was ecstatic over.

"Get a room, you two, or make some room for me!" We looked over to see Rosita in her skimpy Princess Leia Jabba Slave costume.

"Sorry, Rosie. We're too obsessed with each other to make our duet a trio."

"For now, but don't forget, I'm very persuasive." She winked over at me and she was about to bend over when Melody gently shoved her away.

"No way, Rosita! No twerking on my boyfriend!"

I looked down on her with an amused look, unsure if she was staking her claim for real or because she wanted Rosita to move along. "So now I'm your boyfriend?"

"Duh!" Melody started giggling as she ran her fingers through my hair. "I'll change my status tomorrow."

"I get it, girl. Gotta keep that dick on lockdown. I'm gonna go twerk on American Eagle Elvis! He's been giving me the eye all night."

"Martin Coy? Yeah, he's your biggest fan, Rosita! You're his screensaver, I'm surprised he hasn't put the moves on you yet!"

Rosita looked intrigued as she saw Martin talking to Albert. "He's cute in a white trash kind of way, I'll do it!" She sauntered off and over to Martin, who was shocked that she was even talking to him.

"I wonder if anything will happen there! Abraham has had the biggest crush on Rosita since I met her back in March. He just got divorced from his wife Ellen a year ago, it's about time he gets back on the dating scene."

"I agree."

"Are you having a good time? I'm having a blast!"

I nodded. "Most definitely. Hey, I notice there's a lot of couples costumes here."

Besides Rick and Lori, Maggie and Glenn were The Green Lantern and Kato, respectively, with Maggie rocking a tight green mini dress, a black fedora, and a black eye mask while Glenn was dressed as Kato to a T. Tara and Alisha were both roller derby dolls, which consisted of their uniforms from the L.A. Derby Dolls. Stefon was "Half Breed Cher" in a long black wig and a dramatic Indian costume with Aaron as Sonny Bono in a checkered suit and Eric was Nicolas Cage in M _oonstruck_ , complete with a wife beater and a wooden hand. Even Carl and Patrick were representing their bromance as Woody and Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story, respectively.

"Yeah, but Hershel as The Dude from T _he Big Lebowski_ and Annette being Little Bo Peep are just too awesome!

"If only Hershel would smoke pot with us, that would totally rock the world!"

"That would be crazy! I'm loving Sasha's "All The Single Ladies" outfit, she's the new Sasha Fierce, but Ty's Mean Joe Green costume was great."

I nodded. "She's rocking it. You didn't tell me her brother was Tyreese Williams, former linebacker for the Washington Redskins!" Tyreese was pretty popular until a leg injury put an end to his promising career three years ago. Now, he was one of the top personal trainers in L.A, I had been on his waitlist until Lee Everett had an opening for me.

"Yeah! Sasha doesn't mention it much because she thinks that people will try to get stuff out of her since he's so connected!"

"Ha, I get what that's like, so do you with your dad!"

"Alright, everybody, it's time to lower the tempo and get down with a slow dance." Noah announced from his position in the DJ booth before switching the song. He was dressed as a hybrid version of Huggy Bear from both the television show and the movie _Starsky and Hutch_ , complete with Antonio Vargas' white fedora and Snoop Dogg's multicolored fur coat.

"Thinking Out Loud" by Ed Sheeran began to play as everybody swayed gently to the music. Melody took my Ray Bans off and put them in my shirt pocket before wrapping her arms around my neck as we fell into step with the others.

"Gareth, I'm really happy you're here."

I smiled, pushing her hair back, wanting to revel in this wonderful feeling for as long as I could. "So am I, beautiful."

"Stay with me tonight?" Melody looked up, the youth and desire exuding from her gaze, bounding my feelings to her that much more.

"Of course I will."

She put her hands on my shoulders and kissed me, not having to stand on her tiptoes thanks to the added height of her shoes. Returning the kiss with the same softness, there really was nothing better than this. Her actions and words tonight were validating enough that she did want to be with me.

Everything was almost perfect until I happened to open my eyes after we separated and looked over her shoulder to see Shane. We locked eyes, and even though his facial expression read that he was intimidated, his cockiness was undeniable. I narrowed my eyes, glaring him down, unaware that Melody noticed the sudden tension and gave me a confused look.

"What's wrong?"

Before I could answer, she turned around and gasped. "Amy? Amy Holden? Oh, my gosh!" Melody grabbed my hand and dragged me over to the covered patio where Shane was with Rick and Lori along with two other blondes.

**_MELODY_ **

"Melody, hi!"

"Amy, it's so good to see you!" I squealed, throwing my arms around her in a hug. Amy Holden was Andrea's little sister that was five years older than me. We didn't get along so well when we were younger, but we became Facebook friends a few years ago and really bonded over our mutual love for unicorns and mermaids.

We hadn't actually seen each other in a while because of all the mishegoss surrounding my mom losing our money and house, I kind of shut out the world, not to mention that Amy had been backpacking through Europe after deciding to take time off from being an AMGEN pharmaceutical technician.

"How was Europe? I love your costume, you got all the accessories down perfectly!" Amy was dressed as Babydoll from the movie _Suckerpunch_ , wearing a navy blue midriff bearing sailor's top with nautical collar and flap, pleated miniskirt with a large slit, black knee length stockings and shoes. Her blonde hair was in two long pigtails with a navy blue headband, accessorized with a katana and a M1911A1 pistol with the five charms that Babydoll had in the movie: an hourglass, a teddy bear, a pink rabbit, a baby bottle, and a skull.

"It was so cool, I loved it! Have you lost weight? You look amazing!"

"Thanks, I have! Hi, Andrea!" I greeted Andrea with a hug, because even though she had upset me the last time I saw her, it hadn't been done out of malice. She seemed surprised by the hug at first, but was smiling. "Great costume! Adam and Eve?" Andrea was wearing a two piece faux leaf tube top and skirt with drawn on leaves and vines going toga style from her shoulder to her hip, carrying a rhinestoned red apple.

"Hi, Melody. Yes, it is. Wow, you look fantastic, you're practically glowing!" She looked over my shoulder at Gareth. "Whose that?"

I turned around and smacked my forehead. "Oh, my God! I'm so sorry, where are my manners?" I laughed out of embarrassment as I pulled Gareth forward. "Andrea, Amy, this is Gareth." I started giggling wildly, the peach Bellinis more than kicking in. "He's my boyfriend." My face broke out into the biggest smile, my dimples deeper than ever, beaming with pride and glee that he was my guy. I am hoping that after tonight, this feeling stays.

"Hi, I've heard a lot about you both." Gareth smiled, shaking their hands.

"Hello, Melody."

I looked up to see Shane standing behind Andrea from his spot with Rick and Lori, wearing nothing but faux leaf briefs and drawn on leaves and vines going up his abs and shoulder, just like Andrea's. While Gareth had told me that he had taken care of the situation, he had left out exactly **_how_** he had done that, and now I know why. Shane's nose was a swollen mess, twice the size it usually was, practically purple while his eyes had dark circles under them.

"Hi. What happened to your face?" I know I shouldn't have asked, but I didn't care.

"Oh, nothing. I ran into a door. Gareth." Shane nodded over at him, but all he did was nod back, which was when I noticed Gareth narrowing his eyes.

"Hey."

"Wait, you're the one they call "Steve Jobs, Jr." Andrea pointed at Gareth. "You're famous at Woodbury! Now I know who you are! The one with the lesbian girlfriend."

I could tell Gareth wanted to smirk as he shook his head. "Yes, that's me, but it's two lesbian mothers and a ex fiancé that left me for the pool boy."

An uneasy feeling spread throughout me. I became genuinely concerned that Gareth didn't listen to a word I said and didn't take the mature approach. I couldn't stand there dumbfounded; I need to know the truth.

"Can you excuse us?" I grabbed Gareth by the arm and walked off before anybody could even reply. Once we were in the privacy of my room, I let Gareth go, who appeared to be puzzled.

"Melody, what's wrong?"

With a deep breath, I looked up at him, almost afraid to know the answer. "I need you to be honest with me. What happened when you confronted Shane? Did you do that to his face?"

**_Reviews are encouraged! Please read and follow and spread the word! NO FLAMES! :)_ **


	22. Monster Mash Bash, Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gareth is taken by surprise with Melody's reaction over him hitting Shane; Melody helps Carl and Sophia notice each other breaking Carl out of his shell via "Footloose" and "The Carlton"; Melody and Gareth hit the gym, only for a possible face from her past to shake things up.

**Hi everybody! What did we all think of the latest episode and the Oscars? Everybody is freaking out over that kiss, big whoop! I can't believe that after tomorrow, 5B will be half over! I can't wait to see Rick shaved, haha, not looking forward to him getting a girlfriend, but let's face it, he needs some nookie! Hahaha :P. The season finale will be an hour and a half long! *BIG GULP*! Nervous for Glenn and Carol.**

**Noah's twin brothers didn't have official names, so I just decided to go with Chris and Owen, which were the names of Tyler James Williams' characters on _Everybody Hates Chris_ and _Go On_ , respectively (Fun Fact: Christine Woods, who plays Officer Dawn Lerner, was also in _Go On_. Small world, eh?).**

**I am only 20 reviews away from being the highest reviewed Gareth story in all of FanFiction, which includes language, genre, and rating! Thank you to everybody that has reviewed so far, you made me so happy! :)**

**I wanna give a special shout out to my beta reader texasbelle91, as well as AthenaLentz20, BiggestWalkingDeadAddict, bluecrush611, Chloe Cannon 3, DarylDixon'sgirl1985, Headwalkerz, He-Who-Shall-Live, Hey01ig, Lego Kid At Heart, Prettyprincess45, and SilverSun09. Please check out their stories, because they are freaking awesome!**

**_WARNING: STRONG SEXUAL CONTENT!_ **

**_Chapter Twenty Two: Monster Mash Bash, Part Two_ **

**_MELODY_ **

Gareth sighed heavily, once again grabbing my Chinese healing balls and rolling them around. I noticed that he had a few idiosyncrasies when he was nervous or frustrated, like how he would keep grabbing the balls or run his hand through his hair. I'm no stranger to that, mine is I can't make eye contact or I tilt my head a certain way, but I thought it was kind of cute on him. In a way, it made him real.

"Yes, Melody. I did that to his face."

I didn't know what to think or feel, I was kind of in shock, though I probably shouldn't be. "But Gareth, you gave me your word that you would approach things maturely! You're grown men, not little boys!"

"I _did_ approach him maturely, he wasn't having any of it, thought the whole thing was a damn joke. He started and took it too far, not me. Whether you are or aren't around, nobody has the right to say those kinds of things about you."

"You could have gotten fired! You still can!" Honestly, I think that's what scared me the most, was that Gareth did something that could possibly jeopardize the career he worked so hard for, and it left me feeling guilty. "Shane isn't worth you losing your job and everything you've done to get there. You turned Woodbury around, landed multi-million dollar deals, and you're going to throw it away just to get the point across to leave me alone?"

"I know, but he won't say anything. Yes, he is threatened by me, but I'm too valuable of an asset to Woodbury that letting me go would be a big mistake. That's not me being cocky, that's the truth. I don't even know why Shane is still there, he's been riding on Rick's coat tails for years and now mine. Melody, we're together now, and it's my job to protect you. I care about you too damn much to stand back and allow that to happen. Shane couldn't take a hint, I had to literally knock some sense into him so he'd stop harassing you. I'm sorry that you're so upset."

The look in his eyes was a mix of saddened and serious, standing his ground over his actions but also appearing troubled by my reprimanding.

"Gareth, I just don't know what to say. This might be the dumbest thing that I've ever heard of!" While I was angry, I was oddly aroused. "At the same time, it might also be the most romantic thing anybody has ever done for me."

**_GARETH_ **

I raised my eyebrows in confusion. "What? Did I hear-"

Before I could even reply, Melody threw herself on me, smashing her lips on mine as I barely caught her, dropping the Chinese healing balls, her legs wrapping around my waist, sending me backwards against her dresser while she sucked on my tongue.

"Whoa, whoa. Baby, baby, baby, wait-"

She kissed me again, moving to my neck as her hand slipped down my boxer briefs.

"Gareth, that was so brave and almost chivalrous of you. I'm sorry I got annoyed, I was in shock, but you really do care about me."

I could feel my eyes rolling in the back of my head as she sucked on my collarbone and stroked me, her touch was so incredible that even the tiniest flick of her wrist turned me on.

"Of course, beautiful. Like I said, he more than deserved it."

I put my hands on her face, reciprocating the kiss as she ground herself into me further. When she pulled away, I noticed something of a crazed look in her eyes.

"I'm so turned on it's not even funny. Everybody's outside, nobody will hear us. Fuck me, Gareth. Fuck me right now!"

I couldn't help but be surprised. She had never been this forward, perhaps Rosita has rubbed off on her somehow. "What? Are you sure?"

Melody nodded. "Absolutely. I have to have you right now. Don't make me wait." She gripped my length even harder as my eyes fluttered, and I was in no position to deny her this. My response was kissing her even rougher than before.

"Be prepared, because you will be screaming by the end. Do you have any condoms? I left them in my-"

"I've got it taken care of." She landed on the ground and opened the drawer behind me, which I couldn't help but look down on.

"Holy shit."

Inside the drawer was a bunch of sexy lingerie, bras and panties, massage joy gels, sleeves of condoms, a couple pairs of handcuffs, satin sleeping masks, and a cat of nine tails. I turned around and looked at Melody, who was blushing madly.

"Wow, you're really into this stuff?"

"Mmhmm. I told you there's a sexual tigress within me waiting to be unleashed."

I chuckled; even when she wanted to be naughty she was still adorable. "Well, I'm the one that's going to make that happen." I grabbed a condom out of the drawer and kissed her again, our lips never separating as I laid her down on the bed, only for her to stand up.

She pushed us against the wall and turned around, pressing her back into me. My hands groped her breasts, making her moan as I shoved them out of her dress, my other hand going to her panties, rubbing her in circles before I took them off.

Melody kissed me from behind as she wrapped her ankle around my leg, lifting her knee up while her hand pulled my briefs down.

I was about ready to pop as I sheathed myself in the condom, only for Melody to grab my shaft and stroke it against her wetness, having to do everything not to go weak in the knees.

"Gorgeous, you feel unbelievable, but I want to be all the way." With that, I put one hand on her hip and the other on her stomach as I thrust my entire length inside, causing her to moan.

"God, your cock is amazing. Keep going, don't stop."

"Yeah, you want me to go further?" My hands stayed in place as I began pounding, causing her words to vibrate against me. "You're a dirty girl, aren't you, Melody?"

"Mmhmm, which is why you need to go harder. Harder, baby, harder!"

"Harder, deeper, faster, right?"

"YES, YES, YES!" Melody placed her hand on the back of my neck, tilting her head back. I increased my pace as we kissed madly, the thumping of the music outside drowning out her screams, my hands moving to both of her hips, pushing her on me faster and faster.

"Fuck, you're so hot, I love how you feel wrapped around me, how you take my whole cock."

"I love it more. You've brought me to the heights I've always wanted to reach." She started rolling her hips to synchronize them with my thrusts.

While I had always loved sex from the time I lost my virginity at seventeen, for some reason it was that much better with Melody, like our bodies were custom made for the others fit and touch.

"Melody, babe, there's something I've been wanting to tell you for almost this whole month. It's the reason why I punched Shane, why I was so passionate."

"What?" She panted out before gasping. "Ahh, my god! Gareth, baby, I'm close!" Melody bent over slightly, screams of pleasure and spasms of joy ripping throughout her body.

" ** _GAAARRR-EEETTHH!"_**

" ** _FUCK!"_**

I slammed her against me as hard as I could, my own orgasm taking over, causing Melody to fall to her knees, taking me down with her as I burst. Both of us were completely spent, recovering from the explosion of euphoria we had just given each other.

"What did you want to tell me?" Melody asked as she sat up, pulling her panties on and fixing her dress. I was at a loss for words, watching the fabric travel up those sexy legs, but shook it off and brought my hand to her cheek.

"You mean so much to me, you don't even know, Melody."

Melody smiled and leaned down, kissing me. "Not as much as you mean to me. Come on, we should probably get back to the party."

"Alright. Do you think anybody will be able to tell what we were doing?" I decided not to tell her those three little words right now, in case she thought it was only from a post-coital high, but soon enough.

"Ha, hopefully not. Then again, who knows?"

**_FIVE MINUTES LATER_ **

"Hey, where were you guys?" Maggie asked, approaching us as we walked outside hand in hand.

"We wanted a little privacy to discuss some things." Melody replied, to which Maggie's lips curled up in a grin.

"Oh, I think I know what that means."

"Dream on, Maggs."

"Summer, Martin is way too old for you and he's into that porn star chick. Patrick is a really nice guy, you should give him a chance."

The three of us looked over to see my sister and Summer talking by the bar. All Summer did was roll her eyes in annoyance.

"No way! This body is not going to go to some geek, Sof. It's going to go to a real man." She flipped her hair and smoothed out her corset, posing provocatively. "What's your excuse for not talking to Carl? It's been Carl this and Carl that for three weeks."

"I'm trying, he gets all nervous and tongue tied. It's kind of cute, but I can't tell if he really likes me or if he's just super shy." Sophia heavily sighed, looking down into her cup as she twirled a strand of her bleached bob wig.

She had confided in me a week ago about having a crush on Carl but was unsure what to do, especially since Melody and I were together. Relieved that she was interested in him and not some toolbox, I told her to be herself and let things play out on their own.

"Move on, girlfriend. Patrick and Carl, they're nothing but nerds. We're freshman cheerleaders! Do you know how desirable and sexy that makes us?"

Maggie shook her head. "Wow, and I thought the girls were bitches when I went to high school."

Melody nodded. "I agree. Why is Sophia even friends with her? She's so much better than that, she has an actual heart and soul."

All I could do was shrug. "She was Sophia's first friend when we moved here and introduced her to everybody so she wouldn't feel left out. I guess she feels indebted? Summer is alright, she just has a sneakiness about her that I don't like."

"Carl, why did we wear these stupid costumes?! None of the chicks are talking or dancing with us, we've been at the buffet all night!"

We looked over to see Carl and Patrick together at the buffet, with Patrick whining. This was all bringing me back to my experience in high school. Even though Carl is shy, he's got cool, he hasn't fully embraced it yet. I was more like Patrick, tall and gangly with glasses bigger than my face. Some days, it's hard to believe I actually had girlfriends let alone got laid.

"It'll get better for them. That's kind of how I was in high school. Who knew that almost ten years later I'd be working for a top advertising and printing firm along with having a super hottie as my babe?" I smiled as I wrapped my arm around Melody and kissed her on the head as she leaned in my ear.

"It's their loss. All they had to do was get you to drop your pants and they'd be putty in your hands."

I snickered as I whispered back. "Yeah, well I plan on doing that a couple more times before the night ends."

"Ha, I'm holding you to that. Until then, I think I know a way to bring our boys out of their shell." She kissed me on the cheek and sauntered off towards the DJ booth.

"What's up her sleeve?" I asked Maggie.

"Knowing Melody, something big but entertaining nevertheless."

We watched Melody saying a few words to Noah before he nodded, turning the music off and handing her the microphone.

"Hey, hey, hey! How's everybody doing? Make some noise if you're having a great time tonight!" Melody held out the microphone toward the audience as we all cheered before she spoke again.

"The Monster Mash Bash has always been a pinnacle of not only my Halloween, but of my life. We've been having this party for over ten years, and it just keeps getting better than the next, but it wouldn't be anything without my family." She smiled, looking over and pointing at her mom, Lori, and Rick, who also had smiles on their faces.

"My mom and my sister Lori. You two are my lifelines and I love you more than you'll ever know. We made this awesome and we'll just keep rocking!"

Lori and Charlotte laughed. "Right back at you, baby sis!" Lori smiled and pointed at her.

"This party wouldn't be as bitchen' without Rick, my brother from another mother, and lastly, my kickass nephew Carl, a.k.a. Woody!" Melody pointed at Carl. "There he is! You know what, why don't you come up here, Carl?" She motioned him over as he shook his head. "Yeah! Come on, come on, bud! Get up here! Oh yeah!" In reluctance, Carl made his way to the DJ booth and stood next to Melody.

"I don't know if many of you know this, but Carl's real name is Carlton. Carlton Chandler Grimes, named after two of our favorite TV characters in the '90's!" Everybody started hollering, but Melody held up her hand to stop them. "But! But, but, but… who wants to see Carl actually "Carlton"?"

Carl whipped his head around at Melody so quickly I was surprised he didn't get whiplash. "What?! Aunt Melody, no!"

"I know that you all brought your wallets, so whip out the cash if you want to see Carl do The Carlton! He's a teenager, folks, the kid needs dough for skateboards and all that, maybe to take a special girly out on a date!"

Almost everybody simultaneously held up their hands full of cash, to which both Melody and Carl were in awe over. "Ok! Wow! That's gotta be about $500 if not more! The verdict is in, and Carlton shall reign!" She took his hat off and tossed it to Sophia, who caught it.

"Melody..." Rick called out to her, but Lori leaned in and whispered something in his ear before shrugging.

Carl was looking at Melody, humiliation visible on his face. I happened to glance over at my sister and Summer, who were watching the whole thing with piqued interest, and I wondered what Melody's motive was behind this. I didn't know what she was up to, but I hoped she wouldn't regret it.

**_MELODY_ **

"Aunt Melody, please PLEASE don't make me do this!"

"Trust me, Carl. I know what I'm doing here. You'll be thanking me later." I had noticed that for most of the party Carl and Patrick were by themselves, staring at Summer and Sophia but not talking to them. Carl obviously had a crush on Sophia and was playing it cool, but Patrick's eyes practically bulged out of his head when he saw Summer's skanktacular costume. They needed a boost, I was hoping that this would help immensely.

"Let's give the people what they want and cut it footloose! Hit it, DJ Onyx Lite!" I handed Noah the mic, dragging Carl to the dance floor as Noah switched tracks.

Continuous drumbeats filled the air, followed by guitar as "Footloose" by Kenny Loggins played, and I started to shake my tail feather as the lyrics started. I knew everybody thought I was ridiculous for dancing around the way I was, what my mom would call "The Wacky-Wacky Dance", but I ignored it all.

"Carl, come on. Dance with me."

"No."

"Yes."

" ** _NO!_** "

" ** _YES!_** So you're gonna let me make an ass out of myself… by myself?" I stopped, pulling him forward. "Come on, little dude! You can totally burn down the house, you've got it!"

"Why do you want me to do this?"

"Other than the fact that we know a bunch by heart? Sometimes, you gotta put yourself out there to show people you're fearless." I looked over at Gareth and smiled, remembering the "Old Time Rock n Roll" bit, which had really shown me more of that silly, carefree side of him.

"Fine, fine. I'll just follow your lead." Carl stood next to me.

"Woo Hoo! That's the spirit. If they laugh, shake it off, I believe in you. Just imagine your Kevin Bacon's body double and rock out!" The song lead into the chorus as we busted out the "Soulja Boy Tell 'Em" before we went into The Jive and The Wave, going into Elvis steps. The thunderous applause and cheers fueled our energy and movements. He'd deny it, but I caught the smile on his face and knew he was getting a kick out of this.

"You're killing it, C.C.! Let's _Pulp Fiction_ it, Roger Rabbit, Austin Powers, go!"

I had a huge smile on my face, especially when I heard Sophia shout "Go Carl!" and I saw him blushing. This is exactly what he needed, and it would be enough for Patrick to ride on as well. Everybody went crazy as we both started to Carlton, which we couldn't help laugh over.

"Alright, buddy. Ready for the lift? Do not go _Silver Lining's Playbook_ on my ass."

"You got it!"

Carl spun me around a single time as the song went into the big instrumentals close to the end, then began flipping me swing style, above his head and around his back before setting me down and spinning me again until the lyrics started up. He had been having a problem with lifts for a while, but he pulled it off.

We ended in our final pose, with the applause being so loud I couldn't hear myself think. I swooped Carl up in a big hug as I beamed with pride.

"Carl! You did it! I told you you could!"

He smiled, brushing his hair back. "Thanks, Aunt Melody."

"Carl!" We turned around to see Sophia walking up to us. "Wow, that was, like, so cool! Where did you learn to dance like that?"

"Yeah, can you teach me?" Summer asked.

"No way, girls. He and Melody are teaching me first." Patrick said walking up.

I laughed to myself as I walked off and toward Gareth, who had an amused expression on his face.

"Wow! That's all I can say is wow. You sure danced the pants off of me. How did Carl learn to dance like that?"

"Ha, thanks. It's in his blood, we all dance! And we're going to keep on dancing!" I kissed him before walking back to the DJ booth and grabbing the mic. "Alright, everybody, the dance party isn't over! It wouldn't be Halloween without a little "Thriller"! Taking the lead tonight will be…" I looked around before pointing with a smile. "Beth Greene, a.k.a. Zombified Elsa!"

Beth looked mortified and frantically shook her head. "Melody, I can't!"

"Yes, you can!" I had gotten the idea from a video I saw this morning on _Good Morning America_ of Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, and Has doing the "Thriller" dance and figured it would be perfect for Beth to let her inner diva shine instead of taking a back seat.

"Yeah, Beth. Go for it." Duane said with a smirk. "We'll do it with you."

I nodded. "Yes, that's perfect! Everybody is going to do it! Come on!" I grabbed Beth's hand as people started getting into position with the music playing. Chris and Owen, Noah's younger brothers that were dressed as Eurkel, took over for him and Glenn so they could join us.

"Beth, you're more confident than you think you are. You know "Let It Go", and that's exactly what you need to do!"

With a smile and a nod, I could tell I had gotten through to her. As we all danced the night away to "Thriller" and "The Time Warp", I was truly happy. Things were finally going my way in a sense, but what worried me was if it would last or if I need to prepare for the bottom to fall out.

**_THE NEXT DAY_ **

**_24 HOUR FITNESS, WEST HILLS, 4:30 PM_ **

"I don't see any reason why we had to come to the gym, I was perfectly content laying in bed with you all day."

I giggled, rolling my eyes at Gareth as I walked on the treadmill. "As was I, but you weren't the one that made a little piggy out of themselves last night with the cupcakes, _I_ was. I've been doing really good lately and am only ten pounds away from my goal weight, I can't let this be the start of a setback."

After sleeping in until one in the afternoon, I had dragged Gareth out of bed and to the gym while Lori and Rick took Carl to his baseball game and then were out for the rest of the day.

"You've been working so hard, you'll get there, even though I don't think you need to lose any weight." He smiled, leaning on the back of the treadmill watching me.

I still hadn't changed my Facebook status yet, but I planned to when I got home, along with making my profile picture one of us from last night. It had been seven and a half months that I had the picture of me and Aiden as my default, it would feel kind of weird to change it, since I had planned on keeping it up until his one year anniversary next March.

"Yeah, tell that to my ass. My grandma is right, I do think it's as big as Coco Austin's."

Gareth chuckled at me. "You sound ridiculous, your whole butt isn't even as big as one of her whole cheeks. We might have to get you a new mirror, babe, because I have no idea what you're seeing. There's no need for you to feel self conscious."

I shrugged, twirling the headphone that wasn't in my ear. "You're probably right, but it is just kind of stuck with me, ya know?"

He nodded. "I understand, and I feel for you. My moms showed you pictures of me when I was in high school and what a skinny nerd I was. We all go through awkward phases."

What I really loved about Gareth was that he went out of his way to make me feel good about myself and he also wasn't vain. Of course, the question of _why_ it had taken so long to find him still rang in my mind, I couldn't seem to shake it off. Either way, I decided I was ready to shout to the world that Gareth Mandel was _my_ boyfriend. All mine and nobody else's.

"I'm here as your support. If you're good and finish the rest of your time, I'll buy you a smoothie."

"Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of working out?"

"What you're doing right now isn't really a workout, what you're doing is more of a strut. You're on a treadmill, darling, not the House of Chanel runway."

I scoffed and slapped his shoulder with a huge smile on my face. "You're such a jerk, Gareth! Ok, fine, lets strap two bowling balls to your chest and you try running with them. Gosh! Besides," I flipped my hair back dramatically. "I'm channeling my inner supermodel."

"Fine, fine. Sorry, I get the point. Great to look at, not so great to have. You've just got a really fantastic pair, but you know I find you to be irresistible and sexy."

"Uh huh…"

I had tuned him out when somebody caught my eye. He was about six foot one with light brown hair, amber eyes, and a few light freckles; the silver basketball shorts and black basketball jersey he was wearing complimented his muscular body. The guy was talking on his cell phone as he walked out through the lines of equipment, a Nike gym bag slung over his shoulders. My eyes widened at who it was and I couldn't believe it.

"Aiden?"

**_UH-OH! WHAT'S GOING ON?!_ **

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	23. Her Diamonds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Melody chases after who she believes to be Aiden and confesses her undying love to him. When it's revealed that it's not him, she becomes hysterical. Through tough love, Gareth reveals his true love for Melody. Out of fear of losing him like she lost Aiden, Melody pushes him away, which leaves Lori, Rick, Mary, and Carol incredibly saddened. Autumn Montana comforts Gareth.

**Hi everybody! I PRE-ORDERED MY GARETH ACTION FIGURE, WOO HOO! SO STOKED, I PREDICTED THEY WOULD MAKE ONE, I JUST HOPE FUNKOPOP! DOES TOO! Lol please follow me on Instagram rocknrollprincess131! :D The group is finally in Alexandria! RICK FINALLY SHAVED HIS BEARD! YEE-HAW! Man, did he look delicious after the shower! ;) Hahaha not looking forward to this Jessie romance, the actress is more attractive as a redhead in my opinion. Rick looks better with a brunette. Nicholas and Enid that are mentioned in this chapter are from Alexandria as well.**

**I am trying to finish the latest chapter of _Forever Rising Phoenix_ , my mom has been on bed rest so I've been taking care of her, but I think I'm close to being done. I know that I left the last chapters of BOTH my stories on cliffhangers, but as far as _Stubborn Love_ goes, this was probably one of the most emotional and powerful chapters in the story to write. There's a lot of references to songs in her and such, but it all ties in with the chapter theme.**

**I am only 16 reviews away from being the highest reviewed Gareth story in all of FanFiction, which includes language, genre, and rating! Thank you to everybody that has reviewed so far, you made me so happy! :)**

**I wanna give a special shout out to my beta reader texasbelle91, as well as AthenaLentz20, BiggestWalkingDeadAddict, bluecrush611, Chloe Cannon 3, DarylDixon'sgirl1985, Headwalkerz, He-Who-Shall-Live, Hey01ig, Lego Kid At Heart, Prettyprincess45, and SilverSun09. Please check out their stories, because they are freaking awesome!**

**_DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NOR HAVE ANY AFFILIATIONS WITH HER DIAMONDS. ALL PROPERTIES OWNED BY ROB THOMAS, RESPECTIVELY. I ONLY OWN MY OWN ORIGINAL IDEAS AND CHARACTERS._ **

**_Chapter Twenty Three: Her Diamonds_ **

**_MELODY_ **

It was him! I knew all along he wasn't really dead! Now I could find out what he wanted to tell me and tell him my true feelings, we would finally be together.

Gareth caught on that I wasn't listening, giving me a confused stare before looking over at what had diverted my attention.

"Melody?"

"Aiden! Wait!"

Without even paying attention, I threw my headphones off, not noticing one of them had hit Gareth in the eye, and hopped off the treadmill so I could catch up to Aiden.

I ran out of the gym at lightning speed, my heartbeat was ringing through my ears and my adrenaline was at an all time high. An oncoming car screeched in the parking lot and almost hit me, blaring the horn and cursing from the driver's seat, but I kept on running.

"Aiden!"

"Melody, no! It's not him!"

I thought I heard Gareth behind me, but figured I was second guessing myself. The sound of my feet hitting the pavement with each step was almost deafening, and all I could think about was running faster than I ever had before. Aiden was almost to his car when I caught up to him.

"Stop! Aiden!"

He finally turned around and I ran straight into his arms, my eyes swelling with tears of joy, letting them fall as I hugged him tightly.

"Oh, my god! Aiden, you have no idea how ecstatic I am right now! I knew you weren't really dead, that it couldn't be true, and I was right! Now that you're alive, we can finally be together! Aiden Auerbach, I love you! I've always loved you and I always will love you! You're the love of my life! I-"

"Uh, excuse me? Who are you?"

He pushed me off of him, and when I looked up, I could literally feel my heart stop. The man I was hugging was not Aiden. In fact, he was a total stranger who looked almost identical. He took a step back, gazing down on me with a baffled expression.

"I'm sorry, miss. You've mistaken me for somebody else. I'm Shawn, not Aiden. Is there something I could help you with?"

Shawn's baffled look was now one of sympathy. I was sure all the color had drained from my face and my mouth was slightly hanging open, practically frozen in my stance. It was in that moment I realized I had been fooling myself, that I hadn't really gotten over Aiden and my feelings were still strong, that my grief was worse than I had let on. Humiliation, shock, and pain seared through me, the emotional agony so unbearable that I dropped to my knees in tears.

**_GARETH_ **

Watching Melody hug who she assumed was Aiden and confess her undying love, I felt like the Grim Reaper had actually stuck his hand into my chest and ripped out my still beating heart. The girl I had fallen so madly in love with clearly did not reciprocate the same feelings. My heart sank further when she began to cry, indicating that something was wrong. While I was devastated, I couldn't walk away and leave her alone to pick up the mess.

"Melody?"

Aiden looked over at me as I walked up. "Hey there, is she with you?"

"Yes. Aiden?"

He shook his head. "No, I'm Shawn Arnold. I don't know what's going on with her. She thought I was this guy Aiden and now she's crying. Is she having a nervous breakdown, should I call an ambulance?"

"No, that's not necessary. I've got it under control. Sorry about all this."

"It's cool, I get it. I'm just glad she has somebody to help her out. Bye."

As Shawn walked off, I crouched down to Melody's level. Her face was buried in her hands to cover the fact that she was crying. I had only seen her really cry twice, our first date and the last time was after I had made love to her for the first time exactly a week ago.

These weren't normal tears, she was sobbing and shaking uncontrollably, almost wailing. I don't even think Autumn Montana has ever cried this hard before. People were actually stopping to watch, which I had no idea as to why. I started stroking Melody's back in circles in an attempt to soothe her.

"Melody, please don't cry. I'm going to take you home, alright? Everything is going to be ok." I hooked one arm under her thighs and the other around her shoulders as I hoisted her up. Melody buried her face in my chest, her tears soaking through my shirt as she cried hysterically.

**_THREE AND A HALF HOURS LATER_ **

"We're here."

We had gotten stuck in traffic on the way back to Calabasas, it was one accident after the other. Melody didn't utter a single word the entire time, she had finally stopped crying about forty-five minutes after we left the gym. All she did was lean against the window, staring out and hugging her knees to her chest. I racked my brain on anything to say to her, but came up empty worded. Besides, what was there I could say? "Love me instead"?

She refused my hand when I helped her out of the car, something she had never done before. I boldly cupped her cheek, which made her flinch a little, but she soon leaned in to my touch. Melody looked up at, the eyes I had been so entranced by now shone with tears reflecting in the moonlight. "I'm sorry, Gareth."

I really wanted to hug her, but before I could take her in my arms or even reply, she ran off. The knots in my stomach twisted tighter as Melody shut the door, and just as I was about to get back in my car, I stopped myself. There was no way I could leave without getting to the bottom of this. If there was a time to reveal my true feelings, it was right now, because I couldn't contain my frustration. Picking up the pace, I made my way up the steps and to the front door. Luckily, she hadn't strayed too far and opened up immediately.

"Melody, we're not going to leave things like this. You haven't said a word to me in hours."

I gently grabbed her by the hand and pulled her outside. There must have been a thousand thoughts running through my head, but one thing made itself clear.

"I just want to know, did you ever like me or was I nothing more than a rebound? Were you using me?"

Her mouth went agape as her eyes widened in shock and sadness. "Gareth, how could you-"

I cut her off, my mind was a clusterfuck of thoughts and emotions, and right now one was anger. "Don't tell me how could I ask that, I need to know. I thought we had something, what happened? One minute we're happily together and the next minute you're chasing random guys in the street proclaiming your love to them, so excuse me for wanting to know if I was somebody you were taking advantage of."

I hadn't meant to sound so harsh, but this was tough love. It killed me to do that, but Melody is so stubborn sometimes it's what she needs.

"I _never_ took advantage of you and I am appalled that you would think that of me. You have to understand, Gareth. For almost six years, I managed to convince myself that if I believed hard enough that things would eventually work out in my favor, but they didn't. Every single bad thing that I never wanted to endure happened to me. Gaining weight, bad skin and teeth, no friends or money, family that doesn't care. It's better now but it's still haunting. This whole time I thought I had such an elastic heart, I guess I was wrong, because it scares me not knowing if I will ever be able to care about or love somebody as much as I did with Aiden. I thought we were going to spend the rest of our lives together, and it was cruelly taken from me."

"All the things you wanted with Aiden, getting engaged and having a family, don't you think you could have that with me? I know you can and that's something I want to give you."

She wiped her tears away before folding her arms across her chest. "You do?"

I nodded. "I really do. Yes, it's somewhat early, but it's how I feel."

"You already had that with somebody else, why would you want it again?"

"Why? Because I still believe in the dream, that's why. I could ask you something similar. Why hold on to what you lost when there's somebody that wants the same things you do?"

"What are you saying, Gareth?"

"I think you and I could be something incredible, we already are, and that the future we want could be ours."

Melody shook her head defiantly. "I have too many problems and you have a daughter, those two don't go together well."

"It goes beyond that. What is it, Melody? If you keep it in, you're going to explode, I'm sure you've heard that countless times in therapy. You'll feel a lot better when-"

"I can't lose somebody else again!" She shouted, cutting me off.

Her words caught me off guard again, and I could kick myself for not realizing sooner. The reason why she never opened up entirely was doubt and paranoia that she'd lose somebody else close to her.

"What, do you think some lunatic is going to hack me to death with a red handled machete?"

"No."

"What is it then?"

**_MELODY_ **

I heavily sighed, feeling my breath hitch in my throat. "You really want to know what it is? I'm a jinx! It's like anytime something good comes into my life, something twice as bad happens to ruin it." Fear had been my issue all along, and at this point, it was something I didn't know I could be excavated from.

"That's life, Melody. People die, shit happens. One day, so will we, and we'll lose everybody around us, but why waste time freaking out over it now when we can be out living and doing it together."

"Maybe all of this was a big mistake. Maybe we weren't supposed to last longer than one date." This conversation was one I wanted to run from, but I knew I had to hear him out despite my aching heart and soul.

"You and I both know that's not true. We have something real here, and because of that, I need to open your eyes to what you're refusing to see. I'm not going to sugar coat it for you, I'm going to tell it like it is. You're dying, Melody. You're dying because all that pain you're holding on to, it's just going to make it hurt longer. You have to let it go. Not let Aiden go, but let the pain go."

I groaned and stomped my foot, my hands clenched in fists at my sides. "Oh, God, not that again! Can't anybody come up with something original to tell me?!"

"Have you actually listened to the words? It's about being your true self, not to let anybody or anything, not even morality, define who you are. I have knocked down all the barriers, given you the keys to every door. Although it wasn't all up front instantaneously, I let you into my life one hundred percent, and you've barely met me halfway."

"That's not true, I've been trying my best to take the risk of starting over." I knew he was right, but I couldn't put Gareth through what so many people in my life have suffered with.

"You're not alone, you need to remember that. I've been through a lot of shit in my life. I had to pick up the slack of everything when my dad left, even more so as my family kept growing with the addition of three new sisters over the course of four years, and now having to raise Autumn Montana with a non-parent, but I didn't let my misery determine who I was.

I pushed through it, and I know you can, too. The problem is, I don't know if you want to, sometimes you're just so damn stubborn that you avoid things instead of facing them head on. It drives me nuts but it all makes you you, the same with all your other quirks, like how you cry watching any Disney movie or roll chewed up pretzels and crackers in a ball or you think Quagmire from _Family Guy_ is sexy. Why won't you move forward and accept the happiness around you? What are you so scared of besides losing people, is it scrutiny? Is that why you haven't pursued anything further with your writing and makeup?"

I nodded. "A little. Not entirely, but a little bit." I know I really was a strong person, but this conversation had gotten me to crumble away, perhaps this was the breakthrough that Milton had been trying to get out of me for months.

"We all get it, but you've gotta put yourself out there instead of hiding it away under your bed."

My eyes widened at his words. "What? You went through my portfolio?! When? Why?! That was private!" I couldn't believe Gareth betrayed me like that, how dare he snoop through my things!

"It was an accident, but I was blown away by what I saw and I know that you could make something of yourself if you put your best foot forward and believed. That's beside the point though.

In regards to who you are, we see two very different people. You have these days where you think you look like some hideous monster. When I overheard your conversation with Lori before our first date, I'll admit I was a little skeptical but I shook it off. Except when I saw you walk down the stairs, I couldn't believe my eyes at how insanely gorgeous you were and still are, that opinion has never changed, not once.

You think that nobody cares about you, that you're just being pitied, but that is as far from the truth as it could get. There are so many people that care so much about you. Beth, Tara, Maggie, Glenn, Noah, Sasha, Stefon, your friends in the porn business, your mom, Carl and Rick and Lori. Yes, I know that you feel guilty over the kiss, but I have a feeling Lori will forgive you. She loves you so much and your friends will never leave you. I also know that you're in pain because your dad has neglected you, but you're better off than you think you are, because you defied his odds. Not everybody is like him and not everybody is going to play you, there are still genuine people in this selfish world."

Ever since we met, I couldn't get enough of you. I knew it wouldn't be the last time we saw each other, because there was something so alluring about you. Broken, yet alluring. What I'm trying to say is that you're so imperfect that you're perfect for me, and no, it's not a contradiction. You're the Lionheart to my King."

I felt my heart stop, and I was pretty sure what was coming next. "Are you-"

"I love you, Melody, and it's killing me to watch you like this. It's killing me because I am truly in love with you, and seeing you cry makes me cry on the inside. I would do anything to save your soul, give up anything just to see you smile, I'd die for your ambitions and self-agendas. I'm in this for the long haul, and I don't want you to think you're a damsel in distress, but maybe sometimes we all need a hero in our lives. People who loved once are more than likely to love again, and I know that you love me, too. I can see it in your eyes and feel it in your touch. I want you. I want you so badly, Melody, but I want _all_ of you, not half, and I feel like I'm having to compete with Aiden for your heart."

This was it, he had just confirmed that he was in love with me in the truest words possible. If this were a movie, I'd be declaring my love for him in return and go running into his arms, the "Fantasy Theme" from _Romeo and Juliet_ would be playing as we kissed, he'd pull back and tell me everything was going to be ok.

Unfortunately, that wasn't going to work here. It couldn't.

**_LORI_ **

"Wow, I'm stuffed. That was amazing." I leaned back in the car seat, resting my head in my hand as Rick drove us home and Carl was preoccupied in the backseat with some action game on his phone. After Carl's baseball game, where his team won 12-2, we had done some shopping at the mall and had an early dinner at Maria's Italian Kitchen, one of my family's favorite spots to eat ever since before Melody was born.

Rick smiled as he drove through the front gates and up the street to our house. "See? I told you to take advantage of eating for two."

"You were right. Do you think we should go there next Saturday for when Mom finally introduces us to her mystery man?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of STK? Upscale but relaxing nonetheless."

"Ok, that sounds good. Melody and I are stumped trying to figure out who it is." I looked out the window to see a familiar Jaguar in front of our house. "Hey, Gareth is still here." It was then that I noticed he and Melody were on the front porch.

"Why are they outside?" Carl asked, removing his headphones and looking out the window when Rick pulled up into the driveway, opening the garage door. "And why are they yelling at each other?"

I looked closely at their body language and vaguely heard them yelling back and forth, which was when I began to worry.

"Oh, Jesus."

 

"How could you even make a statement like that?!"

"I'm here, he's not! I love you, I want to be with you!"

"You want to be with a crazy person?! You might as well shoot yourself in the foot, because all it will do is hold you back!"

Practically jumping out of the car, not even waiting for it to be fully parked, I walked up to them, Rick following behind me. "Hey, hey, hey! What the hell is going on out here?"

"Do you want the neighbors to complain again, Melody?"

"Rick, leave that out of this!" I happened to see Carl over my shoulder. With a semi-stern expression, I pointed towards the garage. "Carl, go inside."

"But, Mom-"

"No, Carl. This doesn't involve you. Please go inside the house now."

"Urgh, fine."

As he clomped off, I looked back over at Melody and Gareth, which was when I noticed her face was streaked in tears.

"Honey, have you been crying? What happened?"

With a shaky breath, Melody began to speak. "I thought I saw Aiden today, but it wasn't him."

"Who was it?" Rick asked.

"Some random guy." Rick and I looked over at Gareth as he spoke. "Don't you think if Aiden _really_ wanted to be with you all these years that he would have dumped Kendall Donaghy or defended you more when their jackass clique endlessly tormented you and Tara? You've been out of high school for over two years and they're still getting in the way of things, you were barely invited to his memorial because they chose to ignore your friendship."

My mouth flew open, aghast at his statement. Unfortunately, this was true. While Tara had received a direct Facebook invite from Nicholas Traynor, one of Aiden's best friends as well as being one of the hosts for the memorial, Enid Nacon, a girl from Westlake Village that knew Aiden and was not one of the hosts, had invited Melody. Either way, I was shocked that Gareth said that.

"Gareth! Wh-" Rick put his hand on my shoulder, shaking his head.

"Let him talk." He mumbled under his breath, and I had no choice but to abide.

Gareth cleared his throat, appearing very strained over this dilemma. "Melody, I'm here. I'm not going anywhere, and I'm giving you something Aiden never did, my heart. Looks, status, friends, it's all irrelevant. There's not a single thing I'd let stand in the way of my feelings, because that's what love is."

Melody glared at him with such coldness that I didn't even recognize her as she folded her arms across her chest. "Sometimes love isn't enough. John Lennon was wrong, it can't always be the answer, not when somebody's sanity isn't entirely there. I think you should do yourself a favor and forget you ever met me. Forget these past two months and all the time we've spent together, for your own good and Autumn Montana's. If anybody asks, the only thing you know about me is that I'm the founder's daughter and the boss' sister in law."

Her words were a major blow not only to Gareth, but to me as well, and I could feel my heart shattering that she was deliberately pushing him away when I knew she had the same feelings. She thought she was doing this for their own good, but she was so wrong. I desperately wanted to say something, to tell Melody to take back what she said, but I couldn't. All Gareth did was shake his head, a look of disgust on his face and tears in his eyes.

"You've had so many red flag relationships in your life that you've become jaded to the point where you don't trust anybody. Love is never easy, you're either in all the way or not at all, and I know I'm all the way for you, Melody. Drop it all and let yourself have what you want. You can't keep running the other way and living like this, being afraid to trust and love others, especially when all they want to do is love you back and love you for a thousand lifetimes."

With that, Gareth walked off. Call me a dreamer, but a man wouldn't cry over a woman unless he was sincerely in love with her.

Melody fled into the house on the verge of tears, and I knew I had to comfort her. I motioned my head to Rick at Gareth's car. "Go after him. He needs somebody, too."

**_RICK_ **

"Hey, Gareth, hold up."

I followed after Gareth, but I didn't really know how to comfort him. The words that Melody had just said were indeed powerful, but shocking nonetheless, as was Gareth's reply.

"What is it, Rick? You heard her, it's best that I forget about this, but you and I both know I can't." Gareth got in his car, putting the keys in.

"She doesn't mean it, Gareth. I've known her since she was born, she has a lot of issues stemming from her dad abandoning her and being bullied in school, but Melody is one of the most loving people I've ever met. The Aiden look alike was probably a shock to her system, and it's all coming back to her. Deep down, I think she regrets her choice of words toward you. It would be best for Melody to just have some time to cool off and let her come to you."

He wiped his eyes and looked at me. "What if she doesn't, what if I'm wrong and she really does mean it? I'm in love with Melody, Rick, and the fact that she doesn't believe it is torturing me."

It was then that I realized what I had been feeling for Melody was nothing more than some kind of lustful infatuation. While I cared for her, I didn't love her like Gareth does. He could give her everything that I was able to give to Lori, and that's who Melody should truly be with.

I patted him on the shoulder in an act of comfort. "If there is one thing about Melody, it's that sometimes she's obstinate, but she always comes around. All you can do is have faith that she will."

**_Gareth's House, Encino, 9:00 pm_ **

**_GARETH_ **

When I arrived home a couple hours later, I was still in the same miserable state I had been in when I left Rick and Lori's. Rick was right, I had laid all my cards out on the table, all I could do was wait for Melody, but it didn't mean I was any less heartbroken.

I had cried tears of happiness when Autumn Montana was born, but it had literally been ages since I cried tears of distress. Not when I had grueling days of juggling school, work, and the household. Not when I was frustrated beyond belief on how I would graduate from school within the time frame I had allotted for myself. Not even when Theresa left me. There's only been two times in my life that I cried out of pure sadness: When my dad left and when Dale died, and now Melody was one of those times.

"Her Diamonds" by Rob Thomas happened to come on the radio on the drive home. As I listened to the lyrics, it seemed to fit me and Melody. Her tears are like diamonds on the floor and I don't know what to do or how to help her, which is making me cry. Melody is struggling, paralyzed by fear, and I don't really know how to help other than give her my love.

"Gareth?" My mom looked over from her spot on the couch with Carol as I walked into the family room.

"Hey."

"Where have you been? We've been trying to get ahold of you for hours." Carol said.

"I'm sorry, my phone broke." When Melody thought she saw Aiden, she wasn't paying attention when she threw her headphones off and ran after Shawn. It hit me in the eye before falling on the belt and slamming against the wall, which caused me to fall off the back of the treadmill, landing on my phone and crushing it. "What's wrong?"

"Theresa and Sam dropped Autumn Montana off at five."

I scrunched up my eyebrows in disbelief. "What? She's not supposed to be dropped off until tomorrow."

"I know, but she rang the bell, threw me Autumn's bag, said she had to go out of town and left. Honey, what's wrong? Did something happen?" My mom asked.

Mary Crosby Peletier always knew when something was wrong, it was part of her motherly instinct, same with Carol. Nothing got past either one of them, we're a very open family.

"Melody and I kind of broke up."

My heartache was further exasperated with the sad looks on their faces.

"What happened? Is everything ok?" Carol asked.

I shook my head, knowing that I was once again on the verge of tears. "No, it's not, and I don't know when it will be. The girl I love shut me out because she's afraid she'll lose me. I hope things get better, but hoping can only do so much."

Both my moms had distressed looks on their faces, and I knew that they shared my pain, but I couldn't be pitied any longer. All I wanted was to be alone.

"I'm going to go check on Autumn Montana and then I'm going to bed."

I started walking up the stairs when I heard footsteps behind me.

"Gareth, wait."

When I turned around, my mom pulled me in for a hug, her tears wetting the fabric of my shirt. I returned the embrace, holding her tightly as she silently cried. Mom and Carol always cried whenever the others or I were truly distraught. We're a very passionate family that fights, loves, laughs, and cries together.

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart. Whatever happened, her heart will find it's way back to yours." Mom pulled back, putting her hand on my cheek, wiping my fallen tears away.

"I hope so, Mom. She's the only girl I want to be with, I've never been surer of that. With Theresa, I guess I was forcing myself more than anything, but with Melody, we're just a perfect fit. I've poured my heart out, it's all I can do."

I gave her a kiss on the cheek and walked up the stairs, my body wracked with exhaustion and despair. It was hard to believe that this day had such a fantastic start. Melody naked in my arms, quivering and sighing as I made beautiful love to her on and off for hours, passionate kisses and sweet whispers between us. Who would think that it would end in utter chaos?

Autumn Montana was sound asleep when I walked into her room. Pipper and Elsa in her arms, Violet curled up at the foot of the bed, the revolving lamp projecting brightly colored fish around the room. Ever since Melody bought Elsa, Autumn Montana didn't go anywhere without her, joining her entourage of Pipper and Violet. As I was tucking her in, she stirred awake, her big green eyes fluttering open.

"Daddy?" Autumn Montana yawned.

"Hey, dolly. I just came to kiss you good night. Go back to sleep."

"I missed you."

"I missed you too. Do you know where Mommy went?"

She nodded. "Mmhmm. Mommy and Sam went to Wonderland to visit with the Caterpillar and White Rabbit and The Red Queen."

"Shit." I mumbled under my breath. Theresa and Sam had ditched Autumn Montana at my moms' so they could go to Wonderland, one of the most popular raves.

"Uh-oh, you said a bad word. You have to put a dollar in the swear jar."

"Sorry, Autumn. I didn't mean to, that was bad of me." The first thing I was going to do Monday morning was contact my lawyer to get the case back to court so I could gain full custody. Theresa was as careless as one could get, and I'm disgusted. No matter what, I would fight to get full custody.

"Daddy, have you been crying? Your eyes are red. What's wrong?" She reached her little hand out, pulling me down on her bed.

I have no idea how she was able to tell, it was probably from the revolving lamp. Even if it wasn't, Autumn Montana is very perceptive for her age and far beyond her years.

"Yeah, a little bit."

"Why?"

"It's nothing, just adult stuff."

"Like what? Why?"

Sighing heavily, I knew I had to think quickly on my feet. This was "Initiative vs. Guilt", the third stage of Erikson's 8 Stages of Child Development, more commonly known as the "Why" phase. Most parents in the single parents meetings I had been going to found it insufferable, but I didn't mind. She's a curious little kitten wanting to know everything there is to know, just like her dad.

"Ok, do you remember in _Frozen_ when Anna tried to bring Elsa back to Arendelle to unfreeze it, but because of Elsa's ice powers she was still scared and she accidentally hurts Anna?"

Since _Frozen_ was Autumn Montana's latest obsession, I figured it would get through to her the most. That and as I spoke, I realized Melody really was the epitome of Elsa, having love all around her but being too guarded to embrace it because of fear of hurting them.

She nodded. "Yeah."

Autumn Montana then crawled out of her bed and into my lap, wrapping her arms around my neck and hugged me as tight as she could.

"Well, sometimes adults get scared, too. They push away the people that love them so much because they're afraid they'll hurt or lose them somehow."

She glanced up at me, a hopeful look in her eyes. "But Daddy, Anna loved Elsa no matter what, it's why she stopped Hans from hurting her, and Olaf said that some people are worth melting for."

I smiled, remembering that part in the movie. Some people were worth melting for, and Melody was one of them.

"That's true, but just remember that it's important to show your love whenever you can."

"You're right. I love you, Daddy." Autumn Montana gave me a kiss on the cheek, which made me feel a bit better as I returned the affection.

"I love you, too, bun bun. Now, you should probably go back to sleep."

"Ok."

With a final yawn as I tucked her in, she fell asleep once more.

Autumn Montana really was my little angel. I'm so lucky to have such a wonderful daughter, because right now, she was the only thing getting me to smile.

These next few days were going to be hell to endure, especially with the Mikimoto presentation on Thursday. All I hoped was that Rick was right and Melody would come around, because all I wanted was for her to believe in me like I believe in her, like I believe in us.

**_Reviews are encouraged! Please read and follow and spread the word! NO FLAMES! :)_ **


	24. King and Lionheart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garody's breakup has made both Melody and Gareth miserable, practically shutting out from the world. Lori and Carl try to cheer Melody up, but to no avail, until Melody realizes that Gareth was right about Aiden and that she really does need to "let it go". Beth surprises Gareth with a visit at Woodbury, assuring that he's her friend now also and for him not to give up on Melody, which he promises he won't. Melody literally barges in on the very important Mikimoto meeting to declare her love for Gareth, who then chases after her in a teary reunion. Later that night, Melody and Gareth have made a decision about their relationship.

**Hi everybody! AGAIN NOT looking forward to this Jessie romance, the actress is more attractive as a redhead in my opinion. Rick looks better with a brunette and this all just feels rushed to me. I forgot to mention in the last chapter that Shawn and Arnold are Hershel's sons in the comics, so I just mashed it up for who Melody thought was Aiden, and in this chapter Yumiko is from the comics as well.**

**I am trying to finish the latest chapter of _Forever Rising Phoenix_ , I've been having horrible jaw and ear pain, but I think I'm close to being done. Turns out I need to have my wisdom teeth removed! :/ I am only 2 reviews away from being the highest reviewed Gareth story in all of FanFiction, which includes language, genre, and rating! Thank you to everybody that has reviewed so far, you made me so happy! :)**

**I wanna give a special shout out to my beta reader texasbelle91, as well as AthenaLentz20, BiggestWalkingDeadAddict, bluecrush611, Chloe Cannon 3, DarylDixon'sgirl1985, Headwalkerz, He-Who-Shall-Live, Hey01ig, Lego Kid At Heart, Prettyprincess45, and SilverSun09. Please check out their stories, because they are freaking awesome!**

**_DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NOR HAVE ANY AFFILIATIONS WITH KING AND LIONHEART. ALL PROPERTIES OWNED BY OF MONSTERS AND MEN, RESPECTIVELY. I ONLY OWN MY OWN ORIGINAL IDEAS AND CHARACTERS._ **

**_Chapter Twenty Four: King and Lionheart_ **

**_FIVE DAYS LATE_ **

**_The Grimes Residence, Thursday, 3:30 pm_ **

**_LORI_ **

" ** _Howling ghosts – they reappear_**

**_In mountains that are stacked with fear_ **

**_But you're a king and I'm a lionheart._ **

**_And in the sea that's painted black,_ **

**_Creatures lurk below the deck_ **

**_But you're a king and I'm a lionheart._ **

**_And as the world comes to an end_ **

**_I'll be here to hold your hand_ **

**_'Cause you're my king and I'm your lionheart."_ **

"Melody?" I knocked on the door, hoping she'd answer. Ever since her breakup with Gareth on Saturday, Melody had isolated herself in her room, blasting "King and Lionheart" by Of Monsters and Men and crying her eyes out.

"Come in."

I walked in the room, barely able to see anything because the blinds were drawn and she had put _Frozen_ duct tape over the tops and bottoms to block out the sun, wads and wads of balled up Kleenex strewn all over the floor.

The only people that she let in were me and Carl, but after the first day, with the exception of Beth coming over to visit, she wanted to be alone. In all honesty, Melody's depression now was worse than it had been when Aiden died, and none of us knew how we could pull her out of it.

"How are you feeling today?"

As she sat up in bed, I took in her appearance with the faintest light coming through the cracks of the tape. Her hair was tangled and dirty, her eyes were blood shot and rimmed with dark circles, her face very gaunt and pale. In addition to not leaving her room, she had barely been eating, this was depression in its prime.

"I'm miserable, Lori. My life is a mess, I'm a mess. My phone is totally busted. When I ran after that guy Shawn, I accidentally threw my headphones at Gareth and the phone fell off and onto the treadmill ramp before it slammed against the wall. Now the screen is all busted, it's barely working and my laptop is practically falling apart. There's a crack on the side and the bottom is falling out, I'm lucky if it stays on for twenty minutes without abruptly shutting off. Even my electronics want nothing to do with me, and I'm still paying off my credit cards so I can't replace anything. Maybe my dad is right and I should just spend the rest of my life in an institution."

I shook my head in protest, my heart broke for her. "Sweetie, that's not true and we both know that. I know you want to be with Gareth, you saw the look in his eyes. He's crazy about you, just call him."

"I can't. It would be selfish of me to burden his life with all my problems, I already have. It's because I love Gareth that I can't be with him. He needs to be with somebody who has their life together, for the sake of him and Autumn Montana. How could he still love me when he heard me confess all those feelings to who I thought was Aiden? I clearly haven't gotten over him like I thought."

"Melody, you shouldn't be so hard on yourself for not being able to "get over it". Aiden died in a very tragic way, it's traumatizing to all of us."

I had to hold my tears back, knowing the truth of what happened to Aiden and that Melody only knew what was a lie. No matter how hard it was to contain, it had to be done, she could never know the truth, especially not in the fragile state she's in.

"Now, you've been holed up in here for almost a week. Carl and I are going to the doctor's office for my check up, why don't you come with us? We can go to the mall afterwards and pick out rhinestones for the competition costumes while Carl fries his brains at Game Stop."

For the past thirteen years, I've been a freelance choreographer and dance teacher, mostly working with my alma mater, Hilltop Colony Dance. I had been accepted into the American Ballet Company but gave it up when I was pregnant with Carl. Sometimes I miss it, but I have no regrets.

After years of begging, Melody finally agreed to assist me in choreographing routines for Hilltop's competition team. The thirty or so routines that we've done together in two years have placed in the top ten, with sixteen in the top five, ten in the top three, and seven winning first overall. We were working on a musical theatre/jazz routine for In10sity Dance in January, which was almost completed and surely will be a big winner.

"Mom, I'm ready."

We looked over to see Carl in the doorway.

"Hi, hun. I'll be down in a moment."

"Alright. Hey, Aunt Melody, Patrick drew this for you." Carl walked to her bed, handing her an elaborately drawn picture of Tinker Bell. Patrick was an exceptional artist, I could definitely see him making a career out of it, he just needed to break away from his shyness. I also knew he had a little crush on Melody.

Melody smiled. "That's really sweet, tell him I said thank you."

"I will. Are you coming out with us?"

She shook her head. "No, I can't. I can't even get ready, there's no way I'll be able to go out. Lori, just get samples of the rhinestones and we'll look over them when I feel better. We've got plenty of time, In10sity isn't even for two more months."

"Melondrop, you can't stay in your room forever, you're stronger than this." All I wanted was to have her see that, even if I had to force her.

"Alright, this is getting to be too much. Thanks for checking up on me, but I am in no position to do anything right now. Maybe I'll come out of my room tonight, I don't know."

She flopped down and threw the blankets over her head, acting out her typical stubbornness, but I knew there was nothing more I could say, I'd have to try again later.

"Fine, you heard her. Come on, Carl. Let's go. I'll check up on you later, Melody." I stood up, wiping my tears away as I walked out of the room. It worried me greatly not knowing when she would pull out of this, but she had before and I had faith that she could do it again.

I turned around to see Carl giving her covered body a hug. "Aunt Melody, I miss you, we all miss your happy self. Just know that we're waiting for you, whenever you're ready. Smiles go a much longer way than tears."

As he got up and walked out, I couldn't have been any prouder of my son. His words were sweet but precise and mature. Hopefully, they would get through to Melody.

**_MELODY_ **

Once I knew that Lori and Carl were gone, I popped out from under the covers. Truth be told, I _did_ want to go to the mall, but was still feeling too depressed. All I did was sleep and cry, I had even missed the _Big Hero 6_ premiere and Election Day. I heard my father won a second time, beating his running mate, attorney general Deanna Monroe, who was also a good family friend.

I kept replaying my conversation with Gareth over and over in my head, knowing he was right but still holding back. I knew he had been crying and it crushed me that I had pushed him to that extent. How long was I going to keep torturing myself like this, the rest of my life?

Out of boredom and in search of hope, I grabbed my laptop, praying it wouldn't abruptly crash as I searched for "Let It Go" on YouTube.

I took a moment to listen to the words while watching the video of Elsa embracing her newfound freedom. The more I thought about it, the more I realized I _was_ Elsa, hiding from the rest of the world due to fear and paranoia, no matter what those around me tried to do, and only feeling free when alone. Lori was Anna, stopping at nothing to bring me back, even though I shut her out.

I spent so much time being angry and jealous, envying my sister for feeling like she had everything handed to her, like she never had a bad moment in her life, but then I remembered that she gave up her dreams for Carl and Rick. I was deserving of the love and happiness I wanted, that I craved, why had it taken so long to actually believe it? There were so many people all around that genuinely cared about me and my well being, and what did I do? I shut them out, and by doing that, I was hurting the people I loved the most. My mom, Lori, Rick, Carl, Beth, Maggie, Tara, Stefon, Gareth. _Especially_ Gareth. My heart broke at how I pushed him away, because now I knew that he loved me as much as I loved him.

As much as I hated to admit this, Gareth had a point. If Aiden liked me too, he would have been with me regardless of what Nicholas and the others thought, or at least tried harder. Here was Gareth, defending me to Shane and Theresa, the mother of his child. Somebody wouldn't do that unless they cared a great deal for that person.

Perhaps since Aiden and I never got together that fate spared me further pain, because if we had, I would have been more of a mess than I am right now. I can only imagine what Kendall was going through, and they weren't even together anymore. Maybe Aiden was my guardian angel and he sent me Gareth so I wouldn't be alone, so I'd know real love. _True_ love. Aiden and Kendall had been each other's first loves. While Randall was my first serious relationship, Gareth was my first love, and I wanted him to be my only love.

" ** _I'm never going back_**

**_The past is in the past!"_ **

I stared laughing as I cried, watching Elsa transform herself into The Snow Queen. Everything I wanted- somebody to love me, an actual social life, to be beautiful- I had gotten it. I had it all along, and I wasn't appreciative as I should have been. It really was time to "let it go" and not hold back anymore, to embrace the girl I am. She may not be the girl I want to be, but she's getting there and she's already one in a million.

Life really is too short, and it could be taken away from us unexpectedly. I didn't want to be barricaded any longer, I was going to live. Laugh as much as I can, smile wider, and love with everything I had. Closing my laptop, I jumped out of my bed and grabbed a pair of UGGS, knowing exactly what I had to do.

**_LORI_ **

"Mom, do you think Melody and Gareth will ever get back together?" Carl asked as he buckled his seatbelt.

I heavily sighed, buckling my own seatbelt as I pushed the garage door button. "I do, but I'm not sure when, Carl. She's in a lot of pain right now, it may take some time. I just hope it's not too late."

As I was half way out the garage, I heard somebody shouting, which made me slam on the brakes.

"WAIT! Don't leave without me!"

I looked up to see Melody running towards the car, almost tripping over her pajama bottoms, gesturing me to roll down my window.

"Melody, what is it? Is everything alright?"

"Can you give me a ride to Woodbury, please? I gotta talk to Gareth, I gotta tell him he's the one for me!"

A huge smile spread across my face to match my sister's, both of us laughing, I was so happy I could cry. I don't know what had happened, but I knew now it was only going to get better for her from here on in.

"Of course, I can! Carl, get in the back seat."

"You got it." He smiled, climbing into the backseat as Melody got in next to me. Once we were all in, I pulled out of the driveway, my smile never leaving.

**_Woodbury, Encino, 3:55 pm_ **

**_GARETH_ **

Today was the big Mikimoto presentation, and it was the furthest thing from my mind. Ever since Saturday, I had been completely miserable about how things ended with Melody. I followed Rick's advice, but I wanted to make sure she was ok. The problem was that she wouldn't return my phone calls or texts, private messages on social media, and when I stopped by she was sleeping. Would she ever come around?

A knock on my door interrupted me from my thoughts as I read over my presentation one more time.

"Come in."

I looked up and was surprised when a familiar blonde walked through the door.

"Beth?"

"Hi, Gareth." She smiled warmly at me, closing the door and walking inside. "I came to see how you're doing. Even though you and Melody are kind of on the outs at the moment, you're my friend now, too, and Noah's."

I smiled the best I could, truly touched by her kindness. "Thank you, I appreciate that, and I consider you my friend, also. I'm alright."

Beth cocked her head to the side with a raised eyebrow. "Really? You sure don't look it. Come on, Gareth. You don't need to hide your feelings."

"Alright, fine, you've got me. I'm dismal, Beth. I poured my heart out and she shoved me away. I'm trying to give her time, but what if she never comes around? It's been days since we've spoken. Have you talked to her? How is she?"

She nodded. "Yeah, Lori called me over two days ago. Melody's phone is broken and her laptop isn't working very well, so that's why you haven't heard from her. I know this probably isn't my place to say, but as her best friend, I thought you should know. Melody is really depressed; she hasn't left her room or even her bed. She loves you, Gareth, a lot, she told me when we were getting ready for the party."

"She did?" I felt my spirits lift slightly, even though this was before the incident with that Shawn kid, who knew how Melody was feeling now?

"Yes, she did, but she's scared that if she moves forward that her feelings for Aiden wouldn't have mattered. I know about what happened at the gym, it set her back, except she came out of her depression once already, I believe she can do it again, and it was because of you."

Beth looked at me with such sadness and a glimmer of hope. "I guess the other reason I came here today is to ask you not to give up on Melody. I've watched the two of you together, the kind of love you have is so real and selfless, you'd do anything for her. She just needs to realize that, too. Whenever you're around, Melody has this radiant glow that lights up the world, she never had that with Randall or Ben, so I know that you really mean something to her, Gareth."

Beth was a true friend to anybody that needed it, but especially to Melody, they were more like sisters. Her words made me want to believe that things would turn around.

"I know, you're right, Beth. I would do anything for Melody, without any hesitations, because I love her. There aren't enough words or ways to express how much I love her, but I do. You have my word that I won't give up. Actually, I was planning on paying her a visit after I got off work. _The Big Bang Theory_ is on tonight, I know she wouldn't miss watching it with Rick, Lori, and Carl for anything."

She smiled. "Yeah, that sounds great. You're a really wonderful person, Gareth. Yes, you've made some mistakes, but you're genuine all in all."

"Thanks, as are you, Beth. Melody is lucky to have such a fantastic best friend." I returned the smile as I gave her a friendly hug.

A knock at the door interrupted us; we looked over to see Rick walk in.

"Hey, Gareth. Oh, hi, Beth."

"Hi, Rick." Beth smiled as she stepped out of my embrace. "How are you doing?"

"I'm good, you?"

"Good."

Rick looked over at me. "Gareth, Yumiko Kōkichi is on her way up for the meeting."

"Alright, I'm ready." I turned to Beth. "I gotta go, but thanks for stopping by."

"Of course. I'll talk to you later, don't forget what I said." Beth leaned up and gave me a peck on the cheek before walking out. "Good luck. Bye, guys."

"Bye."

"Bye, Beth."

Rick glanced back at me, but before he could say anything, I cut him off.

"I'm ready. Come on, let's show them what we're made of."

**_MELODY_ **

"Thanks so much for the ride. Sorry you had to cancel your appointment."

Lori shook her head as she parked by the elevators. "No, it's fine. This was more important, I rescheduled for tomorrow. Melody, are you sure you don't want to get yourself together before going up there?"

"I probably should, but I can't wait a second longer to tell him. I love him, Lori, that's my guy up there and he needs to know I'm not going to push him away any longer."

She smiled and gave me a hug. "If that's the case, then go get 'em, tigress." Lori kissed me on the cheek as I smiled back before getting out of the car.

"Thank you."

"Good luck, Aunt Melody." Carl said from the backseat as I took off towards the elevators. Riding up to the third floor, I felt all jittery, but also excited. I hoped Gareth would forgive me; I couldn't wait to see him.

As soon as the doors opened, a familiar blonde appeared on the other side.

"Melody?"

"Beth? What are you doing here?"

She started rubbing her cuticles, which had always been a nervous habit of hers. "Uh, I came to see Gareth to check up on him. He's my friend now, too, and I wanted to let him know how you were doing, also. Are you alright, girl? You look like the walking dead."

I nodded, taken aback that she had come here. "Yes, I'm fine. You know, I should be kind of annoyed that you came here, but I'm not. I'm actually glad."

"It was done out of pure selflessness. So, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to get my man back, and I can't waste a moment longer." I wrapped her up in a huge hug. "I'll call you later, love you!" I giggled as I ran off.

"Love you, too! He's not in his office, they went down to The Brain Lab to give a presentation."

"Thanks!" I shouted over my shoulder, knowing exactly where to go. My heart began pounding loudly and the smile on my face could no longer be contained, and I felt more confident than I ever had. As I got to The Brain Lab, my pants got in the way because I was running too fast. Before I could catch myself, I had tripped over my pants and crashed into the door, opening it and diving down face first into The Brain Lab.

"Wh-Whoa!"

I picked myself up in humiliation after a few seconds, and I noticed my nose was a bleeding, throbbing mess.

"Ahh! Ahh! Ahh!" I kept going, between clenched teeth as I held on to my nose, just like on _Family Guy_ , but I kind of couldn't help it.

"Melody? Is that you?"

I looked to see Gareth standing at the head of the table, along with Rick, Shane, Martin, and a bunch of Japanese executives dressed in sharp black suits. They all looked puzzled at my entrance, which was when I realized I looked like shit. I had no make up on, I was wearing my pajamas without a bra, my hair was a mess, and now my nose was bleeding. Even though I was embarrassed, I couldn't just leave now, so I rose to my feet.

"Hi, Gareth." I looked over at the Japanese executives and waved. "Oh, konichiwa!"

"Melody, what are you doing here?"

I started getting the giggles again as I held onto my nose, trying to take a deep breath. "Wow, I am so glad I did not wear white today. Alright, so I'm going to go to the hospital, because I'm pretty sure my nose is broken, but I just wanted to say I'm sorry." I took my hand off my face, unaware that the translator had been translating the entire conversation and not caring about my nose bleeding.

"I came here because I'm sorry, for everything I said. It killed me that night, telling you to forget that you met me, because really, that's the last thing I would ever want. I love you, Gareth, truly love you. Everything you said was right, I'm finally going to let it go. My dreams with Aiden, they died before they were even born, but maybe all along, you're the one I was meant for, and I believe that now more than ever. You're the King to my Lionheart."

I smiled over at him, even though he, along with everybody else in the room, appeared to be dumbfounded. The weight had been lifted off of me, I finally bared my soul and opened my heart, the curse was broken, and I am reborn. Now, it was my time to go.

"I'm going to go, I don't want to make a further spectacle of myself. Come over after work, ok? I love you, good luck." I walked out of there, but popped my head out from the door, waving. "Oh, hi, Rick!"

"Uh, hi." He waved awkwardly at me, still looking confused.

"See you at home, k? Bye!" As I walked out of The Brain Lab, I felt really proud of myself for having the courage to make such a display. Sure, it may have been a little over the top, but that's just me.

**_GARETH_ **

I was completely knocked for six at what Melody had just done. She had barged in on a very important meeting, injuring herself in the process, to declare her love for me. At the same time, I was incredibly touched and overjoyed. She loved me, she truly loves me, and she was mine. All I wanted was-

"Mandel-san?"

"Hmm?" I looked over at Yumiko's translator Mamoru. "Yes?"

"Yumiko-chan wants to know if that girl was wearing one of our black pearls."

"Oh." I nodded. "Yes, yes she is. I bought it for her in Tokyo."

As Mamoru translated back to Yumiko, she smiled over at me once he was finished before he translated what she had just said.

"I see. That girl loves you, and she wears your love with the pearl. You are obviously very passionate with everything you do, which is exactly what we have been looking for."

I stammered as I started laughing. Melody's little mishap had just landed us the Mikimoto account we had been working our asses off on. "Wow, thanks so much."

"Gareth."

I glanced over at Rick. "Yes, Rick?"

He nodded his head to the side. "Go after her."

"What, are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I've got it covered. Go get her."

My smiled widened, he had just done me a huge solid. "Thanks, Rick. I owe you one."

I ran out of the room and to the stairs, the elevator was going to take too long. Once I got to the parking lot, I saw Melody walking towards Lori's Mercedes-Benz.

"Melody! Wait!"

I started running towards her, not caring about whatever was going on around me or upstairs or outside, the only thing I cared about was her.

When she turned around, I wasted no time in sweeping her up in my arms and kissing her with everything I had. Her legs wrapped around my waist and her arms around my neck, I felt something wet on my face. When we pulled away, I saw that she was crying, but what I didn't realize was that I was crying as well.

"You've got blood on your face now, and I look like crap."

I shook my head. "That's ok, I don't care. You've never looked more beautiful than you do right now. You really just did that for me, didn't you?" She nodded. "Why?"

"People do crazy things when they're in love, Wonderboy." Melody giggled, we both know she was quoting _Hercules_. "I'm sorry I pushed you away, I never want to hurt you like that again. Without you, I'm empty and lugubrious. We can have everything we want, and we can have it together. I don't want to waste anymore time crying, I wanna live and I wanna do it now. I want you, you're the king and I'm a lionheart."

" _My_ lionheart."

I pushed her hair back before I kissed her again, never wanting to let go and feeling elated of where we were right now. Melody and I were together, she was my girl, and we were so completely, out of our minds in love with each other. We no longer had to hide or hold back, we could shout it out loud for the world to hear and cheer over. No matter what, I was never, ever going to let her go. I lost her once, and I'd rather die than lose her again.

**_The Grimes' House, 8:15 pm_ **

"Sheldon is such an asshole, but he is hilarious."

"Yeah, I don't know if I'd hang out with him."

Melody looked up from her spot on the couch, snuggled up in my arms. "You hang out with Martin the Moron, so I'm sure you and Sheldon would be besties." She stuck her tongue out, making me smirk.

"Martin isn't too bad of a guy once you get to know him, but he's just a moron when he wants to be."

"You can say that again." Melody leaned over and kissed me.

After wrapping up with Mikimoto, I went home and changed, then headed to Rick's to watch _The Big Bang Theory_ with Melody and the others. When I arrived, Melody was washed and dressed, she looked like a brand new girl, not to mention she was eating for the first time in days. Things really were looking up for us.

"If Sheldon was real, I'd have him do my homework all the time." Carl said as he munched on some popcorn.

"Yeah, I want to say that I could use twenty of him at Woodbury, but Gareth is all I need." Rick added, giving me a high five. "You killed it today, man."

"Ha, don't thank me. It was Melody's stamina that brought it home." I squeezed her shoulder in triumph as she smiled.

"Like I said, people do crazy things when they're in love."

"Melody." Lori walked in, holding the landline. "Your father is on the phone."

I watched Melody's face go white as she began shaking her head. "No, no, no. I'm not here. Tell him I went out or moved to Siberia or joined the Peace Corps or-"

Lori shook her head, pushing the phone in her lap. "No, Melody. He knows you're here. Just talk to him, he says it's important."

"Fine." Melody heavily sighed as she took the phone, her whole body tensed up. "Hi, Daddy. Congratulations on winning again. (Pause) Well, uh, I would have called, but my phone is broken. (Pause) Really? You are? Wow, thanks. (Pause) That, too? Finally! Thank you so much, that means a lot. (Pause) Oh, Donna told you that? Well, it's true, I am seeing somebody serious." She elbowed me and smiled. "You do, huh? For my birthday? Ok, that can definitely be arranged, sir. Right, will do. Alrighty, take care Governator. Bye now."

Once Melody hung up the phone, she let out an exasperated groan. "I _hate_ taking his calls. Even if they're good calls, I'm always on edge. Once again, he forgot to say "I love you"." She looked up at me. "Do you ever do that to Autumn Montana?"

I shook my head. "Nope, not at all. If anything, I tell her too much."

"You could never tell your daughter that you love her too much."

"What did he want?" Lori asked.

"Apparently, he's switching phone carrier services, so we're all getting new phones. His driver will be picking my old one up and then dropping off my new one after it's finished syncing. He's also following through with that thing I told you about."

"Wow, really?" Rick asked, to which Melody nodded.

"Yep, I can't believe it either. Apparently, Donna told Allen and my dad about Gareth, now he and Lily want to take us out to dinner." She turned to me, a semi-worried expression on her face. "Do you think you'd be up for that in a few weeks?"

I nodded. "Of course, babe. You don't have to ask me twice." In all honesty, I was kind of looking forward to meeting Phillip and trying to help him and Melody get their relationship back to a good place. I knew that meant a lot to her, and it also meant she'd be able to see her sisters more, so I was going to do what I could.

"Does this mean you guys are back together?" Carl asked, making the room go silent.

"Yes, are you? It sure looks like it." Lori added.

I glanced over at Melody. "Do you want to tell them or should I?"

"I'll do it, especially now that the second part is secure, I can move forward. There are a couple things I need to do tomorrow, and then we'll be back together. This time, Facebook official." She looked at me and smirked.

We had discussed this when I first came over, and I was more than happy to help her if it meant us finally being together once and for all. I just hoped that this wouldn't backfire terribly, but I feel it's important in order for her to let it go.

**_Reviews are encouraged! Please read and follow and spread the word! NO FLAMES! :)_ **


	25. Then and Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gareth accompanies Melody down Memory Lane in order to fully make peace with Aiden's passing, which includes visits to his grave and parent's house, but will familiar faces from high school's past be beneficial or detrimental?

**Hi everybody! I'm recuperating quite well from getting my wisdom teeth removed, been taking it easy. I need to clarify that it is merely a coincidence that my character is named and Deanna's son on the show is named Aiden, especially the spelling, since it's more commonly spelled as "Aidan". I just threw Nicholas in there to use another name from the show lol. The dossier for Aiden on the _Walking Dead FanFiction_ site is actor Aaron Tviet from the movie version of _Les Miserables_ , the TV show _Graceland_ , and Broadway's _Catch Me If You Can_.**

**Noah's death was definitely a hard one, as was Aiden's, still hella nervous for Glenn and Carol! I had Gabriel pegged from the beginning! He can be the next to go! Lol also, turns out I'm still not the highest reviewed Gareth story, so keep them coming!**

**As I said a few chapters back, Lydia, Annie, and Brianna are all from the comics. Lydia is part of The Whispers, Annie is from Alexandria, and Brianna I think is from the Hilltop Colony, which I happened to reference in the last chapter. As far as their last names go, I just took inspiration from my favorite TV shows like _The Sopranos_ , Walter White from _Breaking Bad_ , Jack Donaghy from _30 Rock_ , and Jon Hamm, who plays Don Draper on _Mad Men_.**

**I wanna give a special shout out to my beta reader texasbelle91, as well as AthenaLentz20, BiggestWalkingDeadAddict, bluecrush611, callmemirna, Chloe Cannon 3, DarylDixon'sgirl1985, Headwalkerz, He-Who-Shall-Live, Hey01ig, Lego Kid At Heart, Prettyprincess45, SilverSun09, and WalkerKiller42. Please check out their stories, because they are freaking awesome!**

**_Chapter Twenty Five: Then and Now_ **

**_THE NEXT DAY_ **

**_Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks Memorial Park, Westlake Village, 2:30 pm_ **

**_MELODY_ **

"Sweetheart, we're here." Gareth nudged my shoulder as we pulled through the gates of the cemetery, I had obviously dozed off on the ride over.

In order to fully move forward with Gareth, I had to make my peace with Aiden's passing. Dr. Milton had told me this morning that I was in the last stage of the Kübler-Ross model of the five stages of grief, a.k.a. DABDA, which was acceptance. Basically, I can't bring Aiden back, but I'm dealing with it and it's going to be ok because I'm not alone. Regardless, there was still a lot weighing on me.

For instance, while Rick and Lori had sent flowers on my behalf, I hadn't actually said anything to Aiden's parents when he died. It's not that I didn't want to, I just couldn't find the words, and every time I looked for cards I would run out of the store crying. It was time for me to break my own silence since I had overcome the uphill battle of depression.

Gareth had gotten off of work early to drive me out to my old neck of the woods, offering his moral support when I told him I needed to do this, and I'm glad he's here.

"Just keep going straight down and it's the one with the big stone teddy bear."

"Didn't you say he was Jewish? I could have sworn he was wearing a Star of David when we met at Burning Man last August."

We pulled up to the Little Angels section where Aiden was buried.

While there was a Jewish portion of the cemetery, the Little Angels was for children who had passed away, so it seemed fitting for Aiden to be buried there. Gareth had told me on our first date that he and Aiden had met a few times, since Alex knew Aiden's best friend Nicholas, who clearly did not like me since I wasn't personally invited to the memorial. It's crazy how the six degrees of separation can come into play with all walks of life, I just hoped Aiden was the last connection to my past that I would have with Gareth.

"He is, but I guess they thought this was a better choice. It's that one right there." I straightened myself up in my seat, looking down on the bouquet of flowers in my lap. We had stopped to pick up flowers on the way, and I decided to go with the selection I had when Rick took me for the first time back in April, which were purple and yellow tulips tied together with a white silk ribbon.

In the language of flowers, purple symbolizes royalty, pride, dignity, sincerity, loyalty, and heartfelt sympathy while yellow symbolizes friendship, cheerful thoughts, and sunshine. A white ribbon symbolizes innocence and peace. In all honesty, these were qualities that were possessed by both Aiden and our friendship. Tulips were also representative of "perfect love", even though there really is no such thing. It made me think of how Gareth brought me the tie dyed rainbow silk tulips on our first date and how far we come, how we've evolved from strangers to falling love, which had been a bit of a rocky, stubborn love thanks to me. After today, it was going to be smooth sailing.

"Take as long as you need, ok?" Gareth gripped my hand, empathy in his eyes.

"I will." I gave him a small smile before getting out of the car. It was warm and sunny, the embodiment of a typical, perfect California day. Freshly mowed green grass and a bright array of balloons, pinwheels, and flowers surrounded the Little Angels, making this sad experience a little bit cheerier.

"Hi, Aiden." I said as I sat Indian style on the grass, hoping they wouldn't stain my black Juicy pants. "This feels kind of silly, just talking aloud like you're right in front of me when really you're not… You're buried… in a coffin… in the ground…"

My eyes widened at this sudden realization that right now Aiden was decomposing, one of my best friends had become a feast of flesh for maggots. Someday so would I and Gareth and everybody I loved and cared about, we were all going to die. I could feel myself starting to hyperventilate and put my head between my legs, taking deep breaths as I fixated my gaze on my tulips. Gareth told me that Carol and Mika always told Lizzie to look at flowers whenever she was having an anxiety attack or stressing out, which is why they had such colorful flower gardens around their house.

"Breathe, just breathe… Look at the flowers, Melody, look at the flowers…"

Once my heart rate had calmed down considerably, I started tracing along the lines of the temporary marker. When somebody dies in the Jewish religion, it's customary to wait one year to put up a permanent marker. In this case, it was irrelevant, because the first time I visited was when it really sank in that Aiden was gone. I watched my fingers gliding as I began to speak again.

"I miss you, there's no denying that. For the longest time, I was lost and dead inside. It had been like that for a while, but when you died, it became worse. No matter how bad things got, I always had hope that somehow we would end up together and we'd live happily ever after. Except that it's not how things went down and now nobody will have you. You won't be here for the important events in my life, like for my graduation or when Lori's baby is born, to see me excel in my career. I was always so lucky to have you as one of my biggest believers. There were nights where all I did was cry and cry until I fell asleep, I was just so wrapped up in the pain of my existence, of every bad thing that had ever happened that I couldn't see past it. I realized by us not being together I was spared an exorbitant amount of pain, but maybe now you're my guardian angel, maybe you always were."

I smiled as I looked over my shoulder at Gareth, who looked the other way, pretending not to watch. He really was so cute, I love how protective he is, and I couldn't help but giggle before looking down at the marker again.

"Personally, even though it was my sister who convinced Rick to set me up with Gareth, I think you sent him to me, and that's why I think you're my guardian angel. He really is something else."

**_GARETH_ **

Even though the windows were rolled up, I couldn't help but eavesdrop on what Melody was saying to Aiden's grave, since it was only a foot away if not less. The sound of her giggle when she caught me looking brought a smile to my face. I was so proud of her for going through with this, I knew it wasn't easy, but it was extremely beneficial for all of us in a way. We could finally move forward with our relationship, and there was so much I wanted to discuss with her regarding the future, all good things of course. Pretending to play Words With Friends, I continued listening to what Melody had to say.

"Ok, so Gareth is a little of rough around the edges with a few odd quirks. Like when he's nervous, he runs his hand through his hair three times or he starts rolling my Chinese healing balls. When he's excited he wiggles his nose a bit and when he's serious one of his eyebrows raises up, plus he has this smirk that cracks me up. It's actually kind of cute, but there's not a thing I'd change about him, because I am so crazy over the moon in love with that boy. I want to say if it weren't for him I never would have gotten out of the horrendous funk I was in. Except after all was said and done, it was me who finally woke up and broke free, he just happened to help along the way. He helped me move on and grow up, I'll always be thankful for that. Gareth wasn't the only one, I had my family and friends to help, too. I'm ready to live my life the best I can, because there is so much waiting for me. I know that all my dreams will come true having Gareth by my side, but I'll never forget you. You'll always be with me, Aiden, no matter what."

I smiled to myself, the feeling swelling inside over the reciprocation of love was both incredible and indescribable. With Melody, she was the only one, and I would do my best to make sure that she was always happy, because she made me happy.

A knocking on the window broke me from my thoughts. I looked up to see an African American man dressed in all black with a white clerical collar around his neck.

"Good afternoon." He smiled at me as I rolled down the window.

"Uh, hi. Hello there."

"I'm sorry for startling you, you seemed so immersed with your phone. Are you here to seek guidance from God?"

His question left me completely baffled and I had no idea what to say.

"Oh, hi, Father Gabriel." Melody said as she got into the car, twirling the ribbon from Aiden's flowers through her fingers.

"Ahh, Melody. I certainly remember you. How are you, my child?"

"I'm great, but we have to get going now. It was nice seeing you."

"And you. Remember passage Hebrews 11:6: "And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." My door is always open for whenever you want to get right with The Lord."

"I'll remember that. Thank you very much." Melody waved to him as she reached over and turned the key in the ignition, rolling the window up. "Drive, **_drive_**. Hurry!" She mumbled under her breath as she buckled her seatbelt, and I couldn't have been any happier to get out of there.

"Who was that guy?"

She groaned heavily. "Father Gabriel, he's the resident priest. I met him when Rick brought me here for the first time. He just walked up while I was at Aiden's grave and started talking to me. Thank goodness Rick was there to pull me away, and I'm glad you were there, too. I can't stand those religion obsessed freaks, they're so narrow minded."

"Ha, you can say that again, and it's no problem. By the way, I'm sorry about earlier. I wasn't meaning to eavesdrop, I was kind of just staring into space."

Melody smiled as we drove out of the cemetery. "It's ok, I don't mind. I'm sure I would have told you anyway, I trust you, Gareth. No secrets between us, right?"

Hearing her say that made me think of Rick's proposition. Looking back, was it really that big of a deal? I had earned the promotion and raise, plus, the deal wasn't in writing.

**_I'm overthinking it._ **

"Of course not, darling. So, what did you say before leaving?"

She looked down, still twirling the ribbon between her fingers. "I told him that I didn't know when I'd see him again, but that I'd be back someday because I'm going to live life for both of us. I took the ribbon so I'd have something to remember my turnaround."

I smiled over at her with such pride. "I believe you can do it. In fact, I know you can, because you already are."

**_Aiden's Parent's House, Oak Park, Fifteen Minutes Later_ **

**_MELODY_ **

"Do you want me to go in with you?"

Gareth and I had been parked in front of Aiden's parent's house for the past ten minutes. It felt a little strange, I hadn't been back to Oak Park since we moved to my grandma's house in Simi Valley after being house squatters for a year. There had been no real reason for me to come back, and now my head was spinning on what I was going to say to Aiden's parents. Shaking my head at Gareth, I had to do it on my own.

"No, thank you. I appreciate it, but I have to do this alone."

He nodded. "I totally understand, I have to make some phone calls anyway. Do you know what you're going to say?"

"No, I'm just going to speak from the heart, it's all I can do. I figure my best bet is to make it brief before I break down crying." I leaned into the backseat, pulling out the package that I had brought with me, silently grunting over it's heaviness. "I hope they like the present though."

"I'm sure they will, Melody. Good luck, I love you."

"I love you, too, Gareth." I gave him a quick peck on the lips before getting out of the car, balancing the package carefully as I walked up the front steps of the Auerbach's two story Colonial.

I was reminded of almost two weeks ago when I had played this same game in front of Gareth's house, second guessing my decision, but I wasn't pacing back and forth. It was now or never. With a deep breath, I rang the bell and knocked a single time, anxiously hopping on the balls of my feet until Aiden's mother opened the door.

"Mrs. Auerbach?"

Her appearance nearly startled me, and I hoped my mouth wasn't gaping open. She was unrecognizable. Dark circles rimmed her eyelids, her curly blonde hair unkempt, wearing pajamas and her face drooped a little. I assumed that she had been under-eating and perhaps stopped getting filler injections, but Tara had heard through the grapevine at the funeral that she had actually suffered a stroke.

"Yes?"

I cleared my throat as the nerves kicked up once more. "Hi, good afternoon. I'm not sure if you remember me, we met at the homecoming for the Life Skills Retreat and high school graduation, I'm-"

"Melody Blake."

I nodded. "Yes, that's me. Is Mr. Auerbach home? I was wondering if I could talk to you both?"

"Sure, come on in."

As I followed her inside, I looked around downstairs. It had the same layout as my old house, which just happened to be a few blocks away, all the houses in this tract were designed by the same architect.

Even though the house was filled with various pictures of Aiden throughout his life and the family, there was something so cold and hollow feeling that I literally got chills. It was obviously Aiden's loss.

"Here, sit down." Mrs. Auerbach led me into the den, which was decorated with mahogany leather furniture and grey walls, reminding me of Dr. Milton's office. "Can I get you anything to drink, honey?"

I shook my head. "No, thank you, Mrs. Auerbach."

"Please, call me Patricia."

"Yes, m'am."

"Otis, can you come into the den, please?" She sat down in the chair across from me as Aiden's father walked in. "You remember Aiden's friend Melody, don't you?"

If seeing Patricia left me in shock, seeing Otis had me completely flabbergasted. When I saw him at graduation, he had been in shape with a thick head of brown hair. Now, he was overweight and almost bald with a ruddy face, which had obviously been from drinking.

Both of Aiden's parents had kept up with the pressures of maintaining a good looking physique amongst the high yet judgmental society that was Oak Park, and now the loss of their only son had caused them to abandon that. While eye opening, it was also gloomy and made me think of my mom when we lost our money and house. Losses of all kinds can effect people in tremendous ways.

"Right, yes. How are you?" He asked, shaking my hand. "Congratulations on your dad, I voted for him."

"Oh, thank you very much. He certainly had his work cut out for him with Deanna Monroe as a running mate." I chuckled awkwardly. Ever since my dad was elected California Governor the first time, it was all I heard about. How he was an exceptional man and that he was doing so terrifically in office, if only they knew that Phillip David Blake was a Republican incognito as a Democrat. Sure, while he's out turning the school systems around and getting gay rights approved, he's stewing about it in private. I wonder if he'll ever be exposed…

"What can we help you with? You said you wanted to talk?" Patricia asked as Otis sat down in the seat next to her and I took a seat on the couch across from them, almost feeling interrogated.

My heart was thumping madly inside my chest, my stomach was a tidal wave, and my tongue had been tied in knots. Revealing myself to Aiden's parents was entirely new, since I didn't know them as well as anybody else I had confided in, but our mutual loss would grant me empathy. Once again taking a deep breath and securing eye contact, clutching the package tightly to my chest, I began to speak.

"I came here because I'm guilty."

His parents looked at me with raised eyebrows.

"Guilty of what?" Otis asked.

"Guilty of staying silent, and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I didn't say anything sooner and that I wasn't at the memorial. I wanted to so badly, but with the kind of people that Aiden was friends with, well, they weren't exactly nice to me. It was too overwhelming and would have been like walking into the lion's den. Your son was one of my most cherished friendships, and over time, my feelings developed into something greater. Before he died, he said that he wanted to discuss something important with me, and naturally, I assumed it was a reciprocation of the same feelings. Now, we'll never know."

I could feel tears coming to my eyes, wanting to bury my head in my hands and cry, but I couldn't do that, I had come too far.

"Aiden's death effected me in such a tremendous way. They say that children should be burying their parents instead of parents burying their children, so I can't even begin to imagine what you are still going through. I'm sure he told you about the financial hardships my mother and I went through, how we lost our house, but finding out about his death via the news traumatized and sent me into a pretty bad depression. Every time I wanted to say something or whenever I was looking at cards, I would get very emotional and at a loss for words. My own mortality came into play, I guess you can say I was scared. It took a few months, along with the help of my friends and family, not to mention a new face, but I finally found the light, which is why I'm here today. I'm here today to because I realized I don't need some big speech to express my sorrows, it's coming from the heart. I am truly sorry for the loss of your son."

I blinked, allowing my tears to silently fall, noticing that Patricia and Otis were teary eyed as well. She reached out and grabbed my hand.

"Oh, honey, you don't have to apologize to us at all. We understand completely."

"Really?"

Otis nodded. "Loss is never easy, and it has been rather difficult on us. Aiden always told us what a sweet and friendly girl you were and how he felt bad for not reprimanding his friends enough for the way they treated you so poorly. I think he may have had those same feelings towards you, but was too far into peer pressure to act out on them."

"I understand. High school was a tough time for all of us, whether we were all-stars or outcasts. The only way to get through it was to survive, which is what happened, even if it meant being something you're not. I'm glad it's over though. While we're still around, it's important for us to value and cherish the time we do have and the people with us."

A wave of relief washed over me, replacing the weight that I had been carrying all this time. I had officially made my peace with Aiden's passing, and now I could start anew.

**_OAK PARK STARBUCKS, 3:45 PM_ **

**_GARETH_ **

After leaving Aiden's, Melody had seemed a bit shaken up, so I took her to the Starbucks up the road so we could relax a little before heading back to Rick's house. Every time I walked into a Starbucks, I always felt at home, I'd probably always feel like that. Who was I kidding though, I lost my virginity at Starbucks, _of course_ I would remember it. I sat down, sliding Melody her Strawberries n' Cream Frappucino before grabbing her hand.

"How are you doing? You ok?"

She shrugged and nodded. "Yes. I mean, I feel a huge sense of clarity, as well as not feeling guilty anymore that I didn't say something sooner. It's almost surreal, like I actually didn't do it."

"Well, you did. It takes a lot of courage, Melody, and I'm really proud of you. You should be really proud of yourself, too." I always thought Melody was a strong girl despite her moments, but today really proved her immense strength.

"I am. Thank you again for coming with me today. I know I could have done it by myself, but having you there really meant a lot."

I smiled, stroking her hand with my thumb. "Of course, beautiful. You know I'd do anything for you."

"Ditto." She smiled over at me, squeezing my hand before unwrapping her straw.

"Hey, I was just curious, what exactly did you give Aiden's parents?"

It had been on my mind since I picked her up and she was carrying this huge rectangular gift wrapped box. I was going to ask earlier but figured she wouldn't want to discuss it with all that was on her mind.

"An autographed Babe Ruth Louisville Slugger that he actually used, it also came with the PSA/DNA Certificate of Authenticity."

My eyes widened over that. "Wow, that's a pretty big gift. How'd you get that?"

"My dad is a major sports memorabilia collector and would always be one of the top bidders at my school's silent auctions, still is at my sister's school, too. He's had that bat since I was Meghan's age and Babe Ruth was Aiden's all time favorite baseball player. I know that life shouldn't be based on materialistic things, but I felt that the bat deserved to be with his family, who would appreciate the thought of me giving it rather than just abandoning it in a room. I tried to buy it off my dad with what little money I had, but he said I could have it as long as I came to Christmas Eve at his house, I was a no-show last year. Will you please come with me, Gareth?"

I nodded. "You got it, and you made the right choice, they will appreciate it."

"URGH, these damn straws are always breaking. I'll be right back." Melody got up, walking over to the drink pick-up bar.

"Ok." It had been incredibly generous, but a small part of me was a little jealous, wishing that she'd get me something like that. Except in the end though, having Melody was the only present I'd ever need, she was the gift that kept on giving. I smiled to myself, thinking of how fantastic she was and how lucky I am.

"Melody Blake?"

I felt myself freeze when I heard somebody calling her name, praying it wasn't somebody horrible from the past. Glancing to the side, I saw a blonde girl approaching Melody. Before I could get a better look, a phone call from Rick pulled me away.

**_MELODY_ **

"Kendall Donaghy?"

I actually had to blink, because I was shocked that out of all the people to run into, especially after my Aiden involved visit to Oak Park, that one person was Kendall freaking "Queen Bitch" Donaghy.

"I thought that was you."

Kendall had always been pretty in a blonde California surfer girl meets Valley girl cheerleader kind of way. Ever since we met, I thought she strongly resembled Hilary Duff, but now she looked like shit. Actually, it was how I did a few months ago. Blood shot eyes with dark circles, her roots were showing, pale skin, all of this being desperately concealed the best it could by makeup, but there was something else. It seemed like she was no longer youthful, we were barely twenty one and she looked twenty eight. I couldn't help but feel pleased with myself that I hadn't succumbed to peer pressure by drinking and doing heavy drugs, because I knew that it was half of the reason why Kendall looked so awful.

"Yep, it's me. What are you doing here?" I hadn't meant to sound rude, it sort of slipped out. Luckily, she seemed unaffected.

"I'm just hanging out with Annie, Lydia, and Brianna."

I knew _exactly_ who she was talking about. Annie Soprano, Lydia White, and Brianna Hamm, also known as the bitches that made mine and Tara's life a living hell back in high school.

"Oh, that's cool."

"Do you want to come say hi? I'm sure they'd like to see you."

I shook my head, memories of having food thrown at me junior year and being bullied by the jocks on the bus to Grad Nite flooded my head as those dumb bitches stood back and did nothing, only meekly piping up after receiving a death glare from me. "I probably shouldn't."

"Ok. So, what are you doing here?"

"I'm with my boyfriend, actually." The second the word "boyfriend" flew out of my mouth, I felt a huge surge of pride at Kendall's look of shock.

"Wow, you have a boyfriend? Really?"

I nodded. "Yes, I do. He's right over there." I pointed over and waved to Gareth, who was on his phone, but smiled and waved at us. "His name is Gareth."

She nodded in approval and impressment. "He's cute."

"Thanks. Do you want to meet him?" I don't know why I just asked that, but I felt relieved when she shook her head.

"I probably shouldn't. How's your family doing? I heard about what happened with you and your mom, I'm sorry."

"Oh, it's fine. You didn't do it, and thanks. Well, things are really great now. I finished school, my mom and I both have jobs, I'm sure you've heard about my dad, and Lori is almost five months pregnant. It's a girl."

"Congratulations! I bet you're excited. How about Beth and Tara? I haven't seen Tara in, like, seven months."

Kendall met Beth at my birthday parties, not to mention already knowing Tara from school. At one point, Kendall and I were almost friends, but like Aiden, she shied away due to the social demands on popularity. Unlike Aiden, she wasn't always so nice to me.

I had convinced Tara to attend Aiden's funeral, since they were also friends, but I had been way too distraught to go. Of course, had I known that she was going to be endlessly pestered on why _I_ wasn't there, I would have told her not to go. Luckily, Alisha went with her, and she has a pretty intimidating stare.

"They're both great." There was a bit of an awkward silence, both of us looking around, racking our brains for something to say. I decided to break it. "How have you been, Kendall? Since Aiden..."

She heavily sighed and looked down briefly. "The only way I could describe it is I'm definitely going through a lot and it is so hard. What about you? I was kind of surprised you weren't there, you guys were so close."

"Yes, I know. I wanted to, but I was feeling really overwhelmed." That was all I was saying. Even though we're having a peaceful moment now, there was no way in hell she was going to get the satisfaction of knowing that I didn't go because of their stupid clique.

Kendall nodded in understanding. "I am sorry you felt overwhelmed and weren't able to make it to the memorial, but you were in there in spirit."

"I agree. I actually went to go see him today." That was all she was getting, she didn't need to know that I had gone to the Auerbach's house and talked with Patricia and Otis.

"I'm glad you did. That's not the only thing I have to apologize for."

I raised an eyebrow in confusion. "It's not?"

"Nope, it's not. I was going to send you a message on Facebook, but since we're here now, what better time, right?"

"Sure."

"I'm sorry I was such a bitch to you, Melody. High school may have seemed easy for me, but it wasn't. There was a lot of anxiety to be so perfect, and sometimes that meant walking over people to get ahead. I envied you for always being who you were and not letting anything get you down. We were all pretty horrible to you, you didn't deserve it at all. I also was jealous because I knew Aiden liked you, we all knew. It's why I told you that you better know that he was mine, I was scared of losing him."

I wanted to laugh in shock. Kendall Donaghy- homecoming and prom queen and head cheerleader- was jealous of _me?!_ In a way, it felt nice to have been admired, I also thought it was admirable that she had the guts to expose herself more or less, especially about her insecurities towards her relationship with Aiden. This had been the second time today hearing that Aiden pretty much had the same feelings for me, and I wasn't sure what to feel about it.

"I really appreciate you saying that, Kendall. It means a lot, except good or bad, what's done is done. We can't go back and change what we did, we can't go back and relive it, either. It's in the past for a reason, there's really no need to rehash what's been dead and buried for quite some time. We have to keep on living and live with everything we've got, it's what Aiden would want, for both of us. It took me a long time to come to that realization, but it's what has to be done to survive. I think we owe it to ourselves to start fresh, like in that song "Carry On."

Kendall smiled and nodded. "Yeah... yeah, you're right."

"Maybe some time we can hang out or something? I know you have a lot of friends, but sometimes it can help to talk to somebody else. I'll be here for you."

"Thanks, it's nice to know you're here for me to talk to."

As I put my number in Kendall's phone, I know that some people would have thought that my offer was probably insane, except for I wasn't like everybody else. I wasn't like everybody else because I had a pretty big heart and was way too caring. Sure, it may be considered a weakness, but at least I know who I am.

"I just texted you my number. I should get back to the girls, they're probably wondering what took so long."

"Mmhmm, I'm sure Gareth is wondering the same thing, too. It was nice chatting with you, Kendall." I reached over and embraced her, which she immediately returned. We had hugged before in the past, but this one felt one hundred percent genuine.

"You too, Melody. Hang in there, ok? I'll talk to you soon."

As I walked away from saying our goodbyes, I felt gratified. For years, I had been angry at Kendall for having Aiden and being some of the reason why we weren't together, but Gareth had a point. If he was really in love, he wouldn't have let anything get in the way of his feelings. Lucky for me, I was with somebody who didn't. I sat down, silently sipping my Frappucino until Gareth got off the phone.

"Who was that, Melody? I was worried that it was one of those chicks you told me about from high school."

"It was, but maybe I overestimated her..."

**_TEN MINUTES LATER_ **

"So, what do you feel like doing tonight?"'

I shrugged as Gareth and I walked hand in hand out the front entrance of Starbucks.

"I don't know. Maybe something low key, pizza and a movie?"

"Sounds perfect."

"Hi, Melanie!"

I turned around and was met with what was one of my worst nightmares. Kendall was sitting on a patio table with Lydia, Annie, and Brianna. I had hoped that they would have been gone by the time Gareth and I were leaving, but I wasn't going to get that lucky.

Lydia waved to me, something of a sarcastic smirk on her face as Annie and Brianna were trying not to laugh. I was about to open my mouth when Gareth beat me to the punch, looking over at me wide eyed and his mouth open.

"LyKe, Oh My GoDz! Your name is "Melanie"?! I've been under the impression for the past three months we've been dating that your name was " ** _Melody_** ". Wow, hashtag dumbass." He smacked his palm to his forehead, and I couldn't help but laugh. His dry sense of humor and snippy comebacks, while obnoxious at times, came in handy at other times.

"Hi, girls." I politely waved, even though they didn't deserve my time.

"Is that your boyfriend?" Brianna asked.

"No, Brianna, it's not. She's with Tara, remember?" Annie remarked, causing her, Brianna and Lydia to start laughing, once again bringing me back to high school.

"You guys, knock it off." Kendall spoke up, nodding over at me. While she and I had obviously matured over the past two years since throwing our graduation caps in the air, there were some people like Lydia, Annie, and Brianna that clearly would never change and would stick together because they're scared shitless of how the real world would chew them up and spit them out.

"Yes, he's my fantastic, intelligent, rich, successful, boyfriend with a dick bigger than all the guys you've ever dated combined. Unlike those high school boys, he knows how to work it, so good luck with what you have."

I couldn't help but return the earlier smirk as the dumb bitch trio was stunned into silence, their mouths hanging open in disbelief. If only Tara had been here, it would have made it that much more epic, even Kendall shot me a sly grin.

"Ciao, ladies." I waved with my fingers before looking up at Gareth. "Come on, baby, let's blow this place out of the water." I grabbed his hand and walked off, grinning in triumph as they started chattering amongst themselves.

"Wow, Melody Silverstone-Blake, you are my hero. That was awesome!"

When we got to the car, Gareth pinned me up against the door and gave me a sensual kiss, I couldn't help but moan in his mouth as I gripped his hair. I pulled away to see that shit eating grin on his face.

"Whoa, what was that for?"

He shrugged. "Giving your fans something to talk about."

"Oh, my god! Did you see that kiss?!"

"It's not fair, what did she do to get a catch like him?!"

"That's his car?! It's nicer than Nicholas' car and he drives a Beemer!"

I looked over at him and laughed. "Yeah, that's what you say, but we both know you're trying to show off."

"Hmm, maybe."

We got in the Jag, Gareth putting the top down as the soft guitar cords of "Rollercoaster" by Bleachers began playing, I happened to look over at the girls. While the trio was scowling, Kendall smiled and waved, which I returned as we drove out of the parking lot, the drum beats leading into the lyrics.

While we drove towards the freeway, the wind softly blowing as I moved my arm in waves out the window, I looked over at Gareth and smiled. I don't know what I did to land him, but I knew I never wanted to lose him.

He could tell I was staring at him, because he looked over and smiled at me before grabbing my hand, giving it a kiss.

"I love you, Melody."

I reciprocated the action, holding his hand in mine a little longer. "Not like I love you, Gareth."

I was finally free of my guilt, doubts, and worries, and I was liberated because I had truly let it go. There were huge differences between the person I was years ago and the one I am now, but I love them both the same, because I had learned from the experiences in my life. It was my time for joy, which was long overdue, and I couldn't have been more grateful to have such an unbelievable guy like Gareth by my side.

**_Reviews are encouraged! Please read and follow and spread the word! NO FLAMES! :)_ **


	26. Status

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Melody and Gareth finally make their relationship official, which results in overwhelming excitement and love from their friends and family.

**Hi everybody! What did we all think of the finale?! I'm just relieved Carol and Glenn are safe... for now :/ I am still waiting for my Gareth action figure to arrive (turns out I ordered the second one, not the first one, even though I'm getting both), as for the stores to have them in stock.**

**BY THE WAY! I keep forgetting to mention that there is a poll on my profile that I need you all to vote in: Do you think Melody should tell Rick and Lori about Shane now or wait until after Judith is born?**

**_STUBBORN LOVE_ ** **IS FINALLY THE NUMBER ONE GARETH STORY WITH 213 REVIEWS! EEEE! SO HAPPY! TODAY FANFICTION, TOMORROW THE WORLD! I also want to add that my intention was never to make my "competition" stop writing as one reader seemed to have somewhat implied, because I would never do that and I am not that kind of a person.**

**More _Walking Dead_ characters in this chapter! Tammy is from the comics, as is Regina (who is really Deanna from the show. The names were changed, Douglas became Deanna and Regina became Reg.), Stone Mountain School, Katjaa and Duck are from the TellTale game, as is Jolene, but the Jolene here is a crossover from my homegirl Hey01ig's _Walking Dead_ story _More Than Survival_. Also, I have had a few requests about Aaron and Eric making a comeback, so I hope you're all happy! More to come!**

**I wanna give a special shout out to my beta reader texasbelle91, as well as BiggestWalkingDeadAddict, callmemirna, Chloe Cannon 3, Headwalkerz, Hey01ig, pen123, Prettyprincess45, SilverSun09, and WalkerKiller42. Please check out their stories, because they are freaking awesome!**

**_Chapter Twenty Six: Status_ **

**_The Grimes' Residence, Calabasas, 6:00 pm_ **

**_RICK_ **

"So the meeting is rescheduled for next Wednesday? Alright, I'll let Gareth know. There's not too much to worry about, we've had the pitch done for weeks. Thanks for calling, Regina. Have a good weekend, bye bye."

I hung up my phone as I took the key out of my car, smiling when I saw Lori and Carl pulling into the space next to mine.

"Dad!"

My smile broadened as Carl ran up and hugged me. Even though he's in his teens now, Lori and I are pretty grateful that Carl is still affectionate with us and not totally embarrassed, except for when Lori tries to fix his cowlick when we're out.

"Hey, champ, how are you? How are my two favorite girls doing?" I walked over and wrapped an arm around Lori, giving her a kiss as my free hand landed on her stomach. She pulled back with a smile.

"Great, actually. My checkup went really well, I'm pretty tired though. Maybe we should order in tonight." She opened the trunk of the car and I was kind of shocked with all the Gelson's bags that were in there.

"Lori, Thanksgiving isn't for at least three more weeks, don't you think you got too many groceries?"

"I'm eating for two, Rick, not to mention that Carl and Melody always have friends over, we have to keep the pantry and fridge packed." She rolled her eyes with a smile. "Give me a hand, boys?"

"Of course."

"You've got it, Mom."

The dogs came running into the laundry room as we entered the house, barking happily and jumping up on us, our hands filled with grocery bags packed to the brim.

"Whoa, whoa, calm down guys." Lori glanced at the clock on the wall. "It's past six, Melody should have fed them by now?"

Simba trotted up with a white and grey VANS sneaker in his mouth. Lori looked over at me, both of us smirking.

"Gareth's here."

Melody's dog Simba had an odd habit of taking people's shoes, and Gareth was the only person here with a size 14 shoe. Since we have a five-car garage, we had been letting Gareth use the one next to Melody's, which is why we hadn't seen his car outside when we got home.

"I wonder what they're up to…" Carl wriggled his eyebrows three times in a row, which made me laugh but also roll my eyes.

"Get your head out of the gutter, Cworal." I ruffled his hair before walking into the kitchen. As we set the grocery bags down, the TV could be heard from the family room.

"I guess they're watching TV, but why wouldn't Melody have fed the dogs?"

I followed Lori into the family room, where she was beaming. There was a Domino's pizza box on the table and the Netflix queue was up, Gareth and Melody were fast asleep, laying on the couch in a spooning position with one arm wrapped around her waist and the other behind her head.

"Awww, they look so cute!"

She silently giggled as she snapped a picture on her phone and reached over, lightly tickling Melody's feet, something Lori had done pretty much since her sister was born.

Melody twitched in her sleep, groaning. "Stefon, stop. Just go with Aaron, he's like a Matthew McConaughey clone. He's bigger than Eric, too, and a great kisser, but not like my hot lips." Her feet started kicking lightly, hooking her ankle around Gareth's leg, which made him turn in his sleep.

"Of course we'll go shopping, just get that bunny hopping butt over here." Gareth's hand (what I'm guessing was instinctive) made its way up the outside of Melody's pants and gripped her butt, which was when I started getting uncomfortable. Those two really had a powerful connection if even in their sleep they wanted to be so physically close.

" ** _MELODY! GARETH! WAKE UP!"_**

**_LORI_ **

I giggled at how Melody had woken us up two weeks ago and throwing it back at her. Still dazed, the two of them finally opened their eyes, a dreamy grin on Melody's face as they got off the couch.

"Hey, guys. How's it going?"

"Melody, do you know what you were saying in your sleep?" I raised an eyebrow, trying not to smirk.

"Huh? No, what?" She scratched her head before stretching, her tank top riding up underneath her Juicy jacket, exposing her tummy and tattoos. I caught both Rick and Gareth staring at her, which made me uncomfortable, as well as take action by pulling her top down. It had been a while since she was so skinny, and I couldn't help but feel a little jealous as well as self conscious since I was only getting bigger and bigger into my pregnancy. Melody gave me a weird look but shrugged. "What are you talking about?"

"How do you know Aaron is a good kisser?"

Melody blushed and looked away, twirling her hair in pigtails, which was always a nervous habit of hers. "Uh, well…"

Gareth's eyes widened as he looked at her in shock. "What?! You mean Aaron of Aaron Stefon and Eric?"

She nodded, still looking away. "Uh huh. It was at the Gay Pride Parade after party last year and it just sort of happened. Bam, he kissed me, I think Stefon even dared him to and then we started making out. You had already gone home by then, Lori."

"Ahh, yes, I remember now." Last year, Stefon and Eric had convinced me and my sister to join them on a float for the L.A. Gay Pride Parade. It was actually pretty funny; the two of us dancing while the guys were in extravagant costumes grinding up on us. While I am a devoted wife and mother, I still have a little bit of a wild party girl in me, which is definitely something Melody inherited. When we get together, we certainly paint the town every shade of red.

Melody put her hand on Gareth's cheek, who still looked worried. "Hot Lips, you have nothing to be worried about. The trio loves you. Especially Eric, he wants you to bend him over and show him the fifty states." She couldn't hold it together with that last line and almost fell over from laughing. "That movie is hilarious!"

"Ok, crazy girl. Take it down a notch."

"Mom, I'm done emptying the groceries." Carl walked in from the dining room, nodding his head at Melody and Gareth before giving them an odd look and pointing. "Hey, did you guys go paintballing? What the heck is going on with your necks?!"

Simultaneously, their eyes widened. "Huh? What? Nothing!" As they hid the newly discovered love bites, I had to hold my tongue not to laugh, but Carl didn't.

"Oo, I know what's going on. BUS-TED!"

"CA-RL!" Melody ran after him as he took off laughing up the stairs.

"Knock it off, you two!" I turned back to Gareth. "Gosh, I swear sometimes I feel like they're both my children instead of my sister and my son."

"Ha, trust me, it's nothing new. I pretty much raised my siblings, I get what it's like."

"So, how did everything go today?" Rick asked. We were both curious and anxious, since we hadn't heard from Melody all day.

"Really, really well, actually. I think she's made peace with everything, she even ran into Aiden's ex girlfriend."

My eyes widened slightly. "You mean Kendall Donaghy?" Like Aiden, I had met Kendall quite a few times. She was a nice enough girl, but there always seemed something very two faced about her, which is why I told Melody to keep her distance.

Gareth nodded. "Yep, that's the one. We were at Starbucks after going to the Auerbach's house, Melody was getting a new straw and Kendall walked up to her. Apparently, she apologized for being so horrible and admitted that Aiden had feelings for her. They even exchanged phone numbers, but that wasn't the best part. Melody completely trumped these three loser girlfriends of hers, it was awesome!"

Rick and I were smiling, both of us relieved that it had turned out in Melody's favor. "I'm very glad things went over so wonderfully." He said.

"Me, too. Now she can move forward with all the upcoming things, especially with you."

Gareth looked down, which was when I noticed a blush creeping up on his cheeks. "Yeah, you're definitely right, and I'm excited for the future as well."

"Urgh, your son is a little shit, ya know that, big sis?" Melody said as she walked back into the family room.

"He's got his moments, that's for sure. I saw you guys ate, but we were going to order in if you're still hungry."

"I'm stuffed, but thanks."

Gareth shook his head. "I appreciate it, but I have to get going. Autumn Montana has dance class tomorrow and then I'm taking her to see Yo Gabba Gabba at Club Nokia."

Rick smirked. "I remember when we took Carl to see The Wiggles. Fun for him, obnoxious for us."

"Ha, my brother suggested getting stoned before going, but I'd never do that with my daughter around, it's irresponsible."

"Anybody that takes advice from Alex is half a bubble off, to be honest, babe. Actually, there's something Lori and I wanted to ask you." Melody looked over at me and nodded.

"Right, we do. We have a dance competition coming up in the beginning of December with four numbers being entered. A trio, a solo, and a small group all in the junior section as well as a small group for the senior troupe."

"Except for one of our top dancers, Tammy, just broke her foot and will be out for six weeks."

"Ahh, that's terrible, I'm so sorry, guys." Gareth said.

"Thanks, but we were wondering if you'd be able to get Sophia to replace her for us?"

Melody nodded. "Yeah, we really need her, Gareth. Remember that Abby Lee psycho I pointed out? She's going to be there and we gotta prove that Hilltop Colony Dance can sweep the floor with her."

"Don't forget that Candy Apples psycho Cathy." I added. This was unfortunately true. The aforementioned dance studios have been amongst our biggest competition, with our kids and Abby Lee's coming up practically neck in neck. As far as Candy Apples went, they were pretty much considered a joke in the dance world, mostly thanks to _Dance Moms_. We had actually beaten Abby's kids a lot lately the past couple of years, so Melody and I, along with Hilltop's owner Katjaa, were determined to keep the streak going.

"Lollipop, don't worry. Not only are we going to make candied apple sauce out of Crazy Cathy, but we're gonna make peanut butter and jelly out of Abby Lee Miller."

"We will squash them so bad that they'll be crying all the way back to the EC, Melondrop!"

Melody and I did our secret handshake, which was high fiving before smacking each other on the butt and bumping hips. We noticed Rick and Gareth giving each other a confused look.

"What was that?" Gareth asked, to which Rick laughed.

"Don't read too much into it, these two pretty much have their own language."

I nodded. "That's true. So will you ask Sophia for us? Melody said from her gymnastics tapes that she'd be perfect for it."

"Yes, she's incredible. Will you please ask, Gareth?"

"It's not that I won't ask her, but doesn't a little less than a month seem like short notice? You don't have anybody else? Who's going to be the replacement in the senior number?"

Melody shook her head. "Not on Tammy's level. I'm her replacement for the senior number, I just barely made the cut-off date to compete. To some, it may seem short, but if Sophia agrees to this, I promise I will work with her every day until she's ready. She may be going through a bratty phase right now, but she's a strong girl and these are killer numbers, which could open doors for big opportunities. Please ask her?" She smiled up, batting her eyelashes at him, which of course Gareth fell for with the goofy look on his face.

"Of course I will. How could I ever say no to this face?"

"Thank you, Gareth. You're doing us a solid. Hey, if she works out, maybe we can bring Autumn Montana in also." I said.

"That could be fun, I know she'll love it. I'll see you both tomorrow night for dinner."

"Alright, and tell Sophia that Carl is in the trio, maybe she'll be more inclined to do it." Melody had choreographed a gorgeous lyrical/musical theatre number to "A Heart Full of Love" from the motion picture soundtrack of _Les Miserables_. Carl was going to be the part of Marius while Tammy was supposed to be Cosette and Enid, a girl around Carl's age that had invited Melody to Aiden's memorial, was going to be Eponine. Melody told me that the number was kind of a present for Gareth since he played Marius long ago.

"Wow, Carl still dances?"

"Yep. His baseball coach Jared even encourages it because it's kept his posture and stance very aligned." Truth be told, Carl had wanted to quit dance all together, but I wouldn't let him because he was a natural and he was able to do both sports. Besides that he's so good, the judges want to keep boys in competition, which is why Carl and Kat's son Duck have won so many times.

"I'm sure she'll be glad to hear that. Night, guys. Have a good one."

"You, too."

Rick and I watched Melody lead Gareth out of the family room by the hand. I was so glad she had gone through with today, there was already a positive difference in her, I hoped and prayed it would last, she deserved it.

**_TWO AND A HALF HOURS LATER_ **

"Honey pie, I gotta jet."

"I know, I'll miss you is all."

"You're gonna see me tomorrow night, remember?"

"Yeah, but that's a long time without your touch and taste."

The conversation was cut off by muffled moans as Melody and Gareth started kissing again. This had been going on for almost three hours, with Gareth trying to leave to go home, only to get caught up making out. He had actually made it out to his car twice, but my sister chased after him, and they had kissed their way back inside the house both times.

Rick looked over at me, both of us trying not to watch Gareth holding Melody up against the door.

"Those two are like sexual napalm, ya know? You'd think they were teenagers the way they're attached at the lips."

I giggled, resting my head on his shoulder. "Hey, it's kind of like how we were when we were younger. By the way, you owe me a hundred bucks, I told you that he'd be here past 8."

"You're right." He pulled out his wallet and handed me a crisp hundred-dollar bill.

"Get a room!"

We looked over to see Carl hopping off the last step of the staircase, Melody and Gareth still hadn't moved. My sister had her arms wrapped around Gareth's shoulders as his hands were on her hips, lifting her off the ground and against the door. Carl glanced at us and pointed back at them with his thumb. "Can you believe these two? They're like freaking cats in heat!"

As Carl walked by, Rick and I were both shocked that he said such a thing, giving each other a "Did he learn that from you?" expression.

"Melody!" Rick shouted, trying to get her attention, to which they stopped kissing.

"Alright, alright! Ok, I'll see you tomorrow. Bye, I love you." Melody grabbed Gareth's face and kissed him one last time before shoving him out the door, only for him to pull her in by the back of the head.

"I love you more."

They kissed again, the final time, before Melody shut the door for good, a huge smile on her face as she leaned against the door.

"He loves me. Gareth Mandel is in love with me." She looked over at us with a huge smile and a squeal before twirling up the stairs singing the chorus of "Love Is an Open Door" from _Frozen._

"You really did a great thing, Lori."

I turned back to Rick, once again resting my head on his shoulder. "You mean _we_ did a great thing, I couldn't have done it without you, babe."

He smiled, wrapping an around me. "We're a pretty great team."

"That we are."

"Except I can't help but wonder if their paths ever would have crossed had we not been involved?"

I didn't even have to think as I nodded. "Of course they would have. They're soul mates, Rick, and they're just like us."

"How?"

"Their relationship has had many obstacles so far in such a short time, and those are far and near, but they have such a powerful love that it will get them through anything."

I looked into my husband's eyes, reminded of when we first met. I was twelve and he was fourteen, I had just transferred to Stone Mountain School. Rick, who was the student body president, had been appointed to giving me a tour around the campus. I knew my face was bright red, I was so entranced by his cerulean blues and pearly whites, not to mention he was very friendly and informative. All I could talk about was how excited I was for my baby sister to be born, Rick happened to be the younger sibling with his older brother Jeff. Almost three months later, we were officially dating and Melody was born. Whenever times were tough, I think back to that first moment and remember that it's worth it.

**_RICK_ **

"Rick, I know we have our crazy moments, but you know how much I love you, right?" Lori smoothed out the curls in my hair before her hand dropped to my face.

I nodded, grabbing her hand and giving it a kiss. "Of course. It's just pregnancy hormones, I understand. I could never love another woman as much as I love you, even if I tried." I pulled Lori in, her head resting on my shoulder as we resumed watching TV.

This was true. I had psyched myself from that kiss with Melody, thinking that there was something more that could stem from it, but I had been kidding myself. Lori was my girl and had been for twenty years, she's the love of my life. Although, that didn't mean I was any less frightened for when the time would come for us to tell her about the kiss. I just hope that we could overcome it in the end…

**_The Next Morning, 9:10 am._ **

**_MELODY_ **

"Melody, Maggie is here to pick you up!"

"I'll be right there!"

I continued to stare at my computer screen, hovering the mouse over the "Save Changes" button of my Facebook relationship status. This was it; time for us to let the world know that we were together, that the greatest guy I've ever met was my boyfriend. Not a pretend boyfriend, a real-life boyfriend. Even though it wasn't with Aiden, I had moved past that. With the unfortunate loss of one dream made another come true, and Gareth was my dream now. He would forever be my dream, as I was his, and a love like ours was the kind people yearned for.

I had made an album of the two of us entitled "You're My King and I'm Your Lionheart", which was compiled of every picture we've taken since our first date on the pier to the Monster Mash Bash last week. After making it public, I selected a picture that Glenn had taken of Gareth and me with Rick and Lori at the party, which was the one I decided to make my profile picture. Gareth had made his one of us outside of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, his arms around my waist and mine around his neck, I was laughing as he was kissing me on the cheek. With that, I clicked the mouse and looked at my laptop screen as the page refreshed.

**_Melody Jasmine Silverstone-Blake added a Life Event_ **

**_In a Relationship with Gareth Adam Mandel_ **

**_September 5th, 2014_ **

I smiled as our new profile pictures showed up side by side before putting my computer to sleep and slinging my gym bag over my shoulder, leaving the room and singing Jasmine's part of "A Whole New World".

**_24 Hour Fitness, West Hills, Forty Five Minutes Later_ **

"Be careful, boys! Pretty girls entering!" Stefon exclaimed as Maggie and I walked into the workout studio for our Saturday morning Zumba class.

"He's right, you two are the prettiest in comparison to Stefon and I." Aaron smiled as I jumped into his arms. I'll admit, I had a little crush on him _very briefly_ when we first met, but I got over it pretty quickly. He's turned out to be a good friend to me and I wouldn't want anything to ruin that. I think what bonded us was that we both have a naturally flirtatious demeanor without meaning to.

"Well, I think we all balance each other out." Maggie said as we set our gym bags down in the corner of the room before stretching. "Where's Eric?"

"He's at some license plate convention in Bakersfield, but he sends his love." Eric was an avid collector of worldwide license plates, it was actually pretty interesting.

"That reminds me, my Twitter friends from Hawaii Kai sent me one! I'll have to give it to him when he gets back."

Aaron smiled. "Thanks so much, he'll love it. I'm not sure if he has Hawaii, I just gave him one from Alaska."

"Was it off Sarah or Bris-dull Palin's car?" I stuck my tongue out as the three of us laughed.

"Melody, you're like Ellen 2.0!" Stefon said, rushing off to his mini pack.

"Huh?" Maggie and I looked at Aaron, utterly confused. "What's he talking about?"

Aaron grinned, wriggling his eyebrows at me. "Oh, I think you know, Ms. In-A-Relationship."

"Schyeah!" Stefon came skipping up with his iPhone in hand. "Your updated relationship status and profile picture broke Facebook!"

"What are you talking about?"

"You haven't checked your Notifications?" I shook my head, which made Stefon's jaw drop and his eyes widen in shock.

"Ho-n-ey! That is totally bananas, look at all these likes and comments!" He scrolled down, and I couldn't help but be surprised either.

**_Melody Jasmine Silverstone-Blake added a Life Event_ **

**_In a Relationship with Gareth Adam Mandel_ **

**_September 5th, 2014_ **

**_Kendall Donaghy, Eric Robinson, Alisha Harkavy, Sasha Williams and 338 others like this._ **

**_Lori Grimes_ **

**_EEEE! It's only 9:30 in the morning, but I literally screamed when I saw this! Don't forget to thank me at the wedding. Hearts._ **

**_Beth Greene_ **

**_I pretty much had the same reaction as your sister haha. Garody FTW! You two are made for each other! Triple date soon with @Maggie Greene and @Glenn Rhee!_ **

**_Noah James_ **

**_Nice! My soul sista and brother from another mother are FB official. This calls for a mix CD from DJ Onyx Lite, yo!_ **

**_Glenn Rhee_ **

**_FINALLY! I'm with @Beth Greene for the triple date. You couldn't be with a nicer guy, you deserve each other!_ **

**_Rosita Espinoza_ **

**_@Glenn Rhee or a sexier one! Same for @Melody Jasmine Silverstone Blake!_ **

**_Rick Grimes_ **

**_Couldn't be more happier for you two, just don't always be so goo-goo eyed at work @Gareth Adam Mandel and keep covered ;)_ **

**_Tara Chambler_ **

**_Likes all around! Congratulations! I couldn't think of two people that were better suited for each other than you._ **

**_Daryl Dixon_ **

**_It's about damn time, you two were only making out from here to Vancouver twenty four seven! Just remember, @Gareth Adam Mandel, you'll be getting a beating from yours truly if you break my baby niece's heart!_ **

**_Alex Mandel_ **

**_Tits McGee! #jealousofmybigbrother_ **

**_Albert Papac_ **

**_My P.I.C. is taken! Whose going to be my wingman now?!_ **

**_Martin Coy_ **

**_@Albert Papac I second that lol._ **

**_Sophia Peletier_ **

**_OMG! I'M SO EXCITED! I GET A BIG SISTER!_ **

**_Mary Peletier_ **

**_This was a wonderful start to my day, my son truly is with an angel. Mazel Tov!_ **

**_Carol Peletier_ **

**_You mean our son @Mary Peletier. Hehe but seriously, this will put a smile on my face for the rest of the day._ **

"We all commented, too. You'll probably see it later." Aaron said.

I was trying not to giggle, but I was in pure euphoria right now. The world was just as happy for Gareth and me as I was!

"You deserve it, Melody. We're really happy for you." Maggie patted my shoulder with a smile while Stefon had a confused look on his face.

"Kendall Donaghy? Isn't that-"

I nodded, cutting him off. "Yes, it is. I ran into her yesterday and she apologized for being such a bitch. We even said we'd hang out."

"Wow, that's pretty huge."

"That's not the only thing-"

"Alright, everybody! Are we in the mood to rock it out on the floor today?!" Jolene the Zumba instructor asked as she walked in the class. She was of medium height with long brown hair always worn in a ponytail and a killer six-pack, not to mention her husband was a dead ringer for Ryan Tedder from One Republic. Either way, she was awesome.

"Yeah!"

"Let's kick it into high gear!" Jolene started the music, "Uptown Funk" by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars blaring from the stereo.

When I first started taking Zumba, I hid in the back wearing huge T shirts. Now, I was wearing tight workout tops and dancing in the front row with my friends, watching myself in the mirror. As Aaron, Stefon, Maggie and I laughed while we danced with the others, I couldn't help but reflect on myself in the past few months. I liked the person I had become- a happier, more confident and assertive person- and I wanted to keep things that way. Not to mention I wanted to keep the guy that had me smiling stupid whenever I thought of him.

**_Lawry's The Prime Rib, Beverly Hills, 7:55 pm_ **

**_GARETH_ **

"I missed you today, stud muffin." Melody said in between kisses all over my face, which made me laugh. "How was Yo Gabba Gabba?"

"It was entertaining to say the least, and I missed you too, baby."

"Melody, we're in public." Rick said, to which her jaw dropped.

"So what?! I'm in love, Rick, truly madly deeply crazy in love, I've run out of songs to describe this feeling!" She looked up at me, her eyes sparkling. "And I owe it all to you."

My heart skipped a beat as I kissed her hand and pulled her onto my lap inside the booth. "It's ok, Melody. I've been waiting for this for so long." I leaned in and kissed her as we embraced. This was true, I had been wanting Melody to be mine ever since we met and I've wanted to tell her I loved her for over a month, she made my heart flutter and my stomach do 360's. Now that those wishes had come true, I couldn't be happier. I finally had my girl. "I love you so much, my darling." I whispered in Melody's ear before kissing her on the cheek.

"I love you, too. Did Theresa pick Autumn Montana up?"

I nodded. "Yeah, she did. We're going back to our regular schedule next week. My lawyer is still trying to get the case back into court. All I have to say is thank goodness I make as much as I do, because attorney's fees are not cheap." I sighed heavily, this custody battle was taking it's toll on me.

Melody rubbed my back in circles, concern in her eyes. "I understand, sweetheart, it's a lot to deal with. Stay with me tonight? I'll help you unwind. After all, we never did get to finish your massage that one time." She pulled away with a flirtatious smile on her face, which reminded me that it had been exactly a week since we last had sex and I was getting horny just looking at Melody in the little black dress she was wearing that accentuated her perfect cleavage and made her ass look even more amazing than it already was. She could be all dolled up or totally done down, I still think she's the sexiest thing to walk the Earth.

Lori smiled over at us. "I think you two are sweet. I'm also anxious about Mom's new boyfriend."

Rick, Lori, Melody and I were all at Lawry's, a five star steakhouse that resembled a smoking parlor in an English country club with leather chairs, polished wood booths with a decorative leaf design on the inside, as well as paintings of royalty on the teal walls, from Louis XVII to Queen Elizabeth, not to mention it had the best prime rib in town. It certainly cost a pretty penny to eat here, not that I couldn't afford it, nothing was too expensive for my woman, but I was kind of glad that Charlotte said her boyfriend was treating us.

Melody sat up, her beautiful smile still intact. "Me, too! She says she's going to bring him to Thanksgiving! Which reminds me: I want all of our families to be together. I know it's a lot, but I want Gareth and his moms and siblings to be with us. Please, Lori? Please, please, please?"

We had discussed holiday plans on the way back from Oak Park, deciding that we did want to spend them together. I already knew that Rick's parents, his brother Jeff, along with Jeff's wife and two kids, were coming, and Melody mentioned something about her aunt and cousins. After hearing that, I was a little reluctant for her to ask, but she insisted it would be fine.

Lori kind of looked at her almost in confusion. "Well, it is a lot, but I'm sure we could accommodate everybody. Let me just put together a seating chart and I'll get back to you. It would be nice for everybody to be at the same place." She turned to me with a smile. "Is that alright, Gareth?"

I nodded. "Absolutely."

"What do you think Mommy's boyfriend will be like? I bet he's a dead ringer for Hugh Jackman!"

"Yeah, Mom has always loved him! Or that guy that's in all those made for TV movies, Patrick Muldoon!"

"Oh yeah, he's hot, too!" Melody giggled while Rick rolled his eyes.

"Girls, don't put so much on looks."

"Yeah, Rick is right." I said, to which she shrugged.

"I know, I know. It doesn't matter, I have a feeling whomever she's with will be the best pick. Hey, look! There's Mom now!" Melody waved, my gaze fixated on her the whole time when she and Lori realized who Charlotte was with. Both of them had their mouths hanging open, eyes wide, and their skin paled.

"No… No way."

"This can't be happening!"

**_WHAT'S GOING ON?! WHO IS IT?!_ **

**_Reviews are encouraged! Please read and follow and spread the word! NO FLAMES! :)_ **


	27. Transformation Acceptance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlotte's boyfriend is revealed, which after sending Lori and Melody into a loop, causes them to fight and eventually makeup; Gareth and Melody have some sexy bedtime fun; Rick comes to the conclusion that he is happy with his life.

**Hi everybody! Sorry this chapter is short, the next one will be longer, I promise! I just wanted to get this chapter up to reveal the surprise on who Charlotte is dating lol. Hope it doesn't throw you all for too big of a loop! Christa and Drew are just random names from the TellTale game lol.**

**_STUBBORN LOVE_ ** **IS FINALLY THE NUMBER ONE GARETH STORY WITH 243 REVIEWS! EEEE! SO HAPPY! TODAY FANFICTION, TOMORROW THE WORLD! I also want to add that my intention was never to make my "competition" stop writing as one reader seemed to have somewhat implied, because I would never do that and I am not that kind of a person.**

**I wanna give a special shout out to my beta reader texasbelle91, as well as BiggestWalkingDeadAddict, callmemirna, Chloe Cannon 3, Divergentfangirl123, Headwalkerz, Hey01ig, Joshua the Termite, pen123, Prettyprincess45, SilverSun09, and WalkerKiller42. Please check out their stories, because they are freaking awesome!**

**_WARNING: EXPLICIT LANGUAGE, STRONG SEXUAL CONTENT, BDSM LITE!_ **

**_Chapter Twenty Seven: Transformation Acceptance_ **

**_MELODY_ **

The sight in front of me had literally made my heart stop, I almost couldn't breathe and my anxiety was soaring through the roof right now. I happened to glace over at my sister out of the corner of my eye, who had the same expression on her face as well.

"Slap me."

"You first."

Without even diverting our gaze, we slapped each other across the face repeatedly with one hand, slowly at first until it got faster, the stinging of my cheek was acting as a reminder that this was really happening and not a dream.

"Melody, Lor, relax." Rick said, grabbing Lori's hand.

"I don't get why you're so freaked out." Gareth added.

"I've got a great idea. Let's just leave and we'll say we're stuck in traffic." I stood up in the booth, trying to shove Gareth out. "Come on, let's go."

He shook his head and gently pushed me back down. "No, Melody. She knows we're here and we aren't leaving."

"Hi, everybody! We made it just in time." My mom walked up to the booth as I accepted that we wouldn't be able to leave, holding hands with a suit and tie wearing Merle. Merle as in Merle Dixon, "Uncle Merle",  ** _Notorious Womanizer_**  Merle Dixon was our mother's boyfriend!

"Hey, Melody, Lori. How's it going, boys?" Merle asked, shaking hands with Gareth and Rick before sliding in next to my mother, who had a worried expression on her face.

"Oh, no. Were you girls playing the slapping game?"

My sister and I were too embarrassed to admit the obvious aloud, so all we did was nod.

"This is who you've been dating?" Lori asked, looking Merle up and down, who appeared to be uncomfortable. He wasn't his joke cracking, smirking, cackling self. In fact, he actually appeared to be rather timid.

"How long has this been going on? I don't even know what to say or think right now. I feel almost deceived, you two were around me so much and kept this secret from me." My mind was racing, I almost felt dizzy and wanted to start crying like Alan had during his intervention in  _The Hangover III_ , but that would just make a scene of things. The only thing my mother had ever kept a secret was that she had gotten involved in the deal that ruined our lives, why had she felt the need to hide this from Lori and me?

**_LORI_ **

Mom still looked worried as she reached over, grabbing each of our hands. "Sweethearts, I really don't want you to be upset over this. I've known Merle for a long time, he's a good man. There's nothing to worry about. We both wanted to make sure things were in the right place before we told you."

"Yes, but until Melody ran into him and Daryl at Tony Robbins, you two hadn't spoken in years." I said. From what I had looked up on Google following the hires for Vivid Entertainment, Merle had a past. He had a DUI on his record, as well as having a reputation for bedding a bevy of women, most of them my sister's age if not younger. Right after Mom and Melody were hired, Merle had been linked with Jenna Jameson and Capri Anderson, who happened to be porn stars.

This all made me worry that our mother had been potentially blindsided. How did we know he wasn't playing her? That and they kind of looked like an odd couple. Melody always said Mom looks like Fran Drescher, but I think Catherine Zeta-Jones. It's not that Merle is unattractive, but Mom could do better.

"That's true, but I kind of think that fate had something to do with us talking. Don't get me wrong, I much rather would have had it be any other way than Melody being chased by a cult, but something good came out of it for all of us." She looked over at Merle and they both smiled before he spoke next.

"Girls, I understand that this is all coming off as quite a shock, but I am truly in love with your mother. To be honest, Charlotte was the one that got away. I've always had a thing for her, ever since we met, but the timing has never been on my side. I was married to my second wife Christa while your mom had just started up with your dad Drew, Lori. Again, the cards were never right, one of us would be single and the other wasn't, then she quit the business and we fell out of touch. When I hired her and Melody for Vivid, we started talking and took our time getting to know each other again. It was really special and meaningful, she saw more in me than just another porn producer and poker player, she got me to show the softer side of myself. Melody, I love you like the daughter I've never had, and I'm hoping I can get to know you that well, also, Lori. I'm not trying to replace either one of your dads, but I do want to get closer with Charlotte, which is why I've asked her to move in with me."

Mom interjected. "I couldn't make a decision until I told you girls."

"Did Daryl know about this?" Melody asked, to which Merle nodded.

"Sorry about that, Melody. He was the one who decided to keep it from you and wait so you can hear it from us personally."

I couldn't help but notice that neither Rick nor Gareth were saying anything, they were looking back and forth between us, Rick rubbing my back while Gareth held Melody's hand. Why were they being so quiet? Maybe I'm overthinking it.

"Lori, Melody, you will never have to doubt how much you mean to me and how much I love you. You two are my whole world and I've always put you first, because that's what you do when you have children. You and Rick will always put your kids first, you already do. Now you're both grown up. Lori, you're married with a baby on the way. Melody, you're with Gareth now and pursuing your career. You don't need me as much anymore, but I'll always be here when you do. I will always stand behind whatever you want to do with your lives, but I would really hope that I can expect the same from all of you." Mom looked over and grabbed Gareth's free hand. "That means you, too, honey. You're part of the family now, Gareth."

He smiled sheepishly and gripped her hand. "Thank you, Charlotte. I feel the same way, you're all part of my family now, too."

In the midst of this puzzling blow, what my mother had just said was the one thing that made sense. Rick and Carl and I considered Gareth as our family now also, but we especially hoped that one day it would be official, that he and Melody would tie the knot. Honestly, it looked like things could go that way in the future.

She set her gaze back on both of us. "I know that these past couple years haven't been easy for me. The longer I held onto it, the more it was weighing me down, and I had to force myself to break free. Merle helped us both, Melody, and I love him, too. What I had with Tony, I did care for him, but I guess it was more of a rebound than anything. With Merle, I know it's real."

I had to admit that she was in fact glowing, it had been a while since I had seen her this happy. Melody and I looked over at each other and nodded. While Merle was being completely authentic, this wasn't going to sink in easily.

"We know, Mom. We trust you and of course want you to be happy." I said with a smile.

"Me, too, Mommy." Melody looked over at Merle and smiled. "Still want me to call you "Uncle Merle"?"

Merle cracked a smile. "Ha. Whatever you want, darlin', it's fine by me." He grabbed a menu and opened it up. "Get whatever you want, kids. It's on me. The prime rib is the best they've got in town, but why don't we start with a nice Napa Valley Chardonnay?"

**_TWO HOURS LATER_ **

**_GARETH_ **

"This is all your fault!"

"My fault?! Why are you blaming me?!"

"You just HAD to run into that porn convention, didn't you?!"

"What, did you want me to get brainwashed by a bunch of freaks?! You're acting like a stupid bitch."

"Sometimes you act really immature, Melody, which makes you a stupider bitch than me."

"You're a stupider-er bitch!"

"No, you are!"

"YOU ARE!"

"YOU ARE!"

This had been going on for the past thirty minutes, we hadn't even pulled out of the Lawry's parking lot before they were at each other's throats. In the past three months that we've been dating, I have never once seen Lori and Melody even utter a cruel word at each other. They had a very close and loving relationship, except I couldn't help but think of how Melody told me that she had gotten into physical fights with Lori twice, and that could not happen again.

Rick and I exchanged a befuddled glance, silently cursing ourselves for not knowing something was up when Lori and Melody wanted to sit in the back seat.

"Lori…"

"Melody…"

"Ladies, please…"

No answer, and I doubt that they heard either one of us over their arguing; Rick's Porsche could have been mistaken for a chicken coup, because the girls were squawking.

"Go fuck your husband!"

"Go fuck your boyfriend!"

" ** _GIRLS, THAT'S ENOUGH! KNOCK IT THE FUCK OFF!"_**

Rick slammed on his brakes, causing the car to jerk forward. Luckily, nobody was behind or in front of us. Lori and Melody simultaneously gasped at the tone of his voice, even I jumped a little. I had never even seen Rick get angry, but he was beyond pissed now. Driving once more, he began to speak after a couple calming breaths.

"Jesus Christ, have you actually listened to a single word you've been saying for almost twenty minutes? You two sound like some uppity high school cheerleaders! Grow up! Charlotte is your mother, she sacrificed a lot to make sure that you two had the best lives possible, which included staying with your father for longer than she should have, Melody. I've known you since you're born, we both know you weren't the easiest child, and that your mom heard more than once to send you away, but did she? No. If Merle makes her happy, then why should there be any problems at all?! They love each other, just like you could tell that Gareth fell for Melody that first night, Lor. I think you two owe them both a huge apology."

Lori and Melody were silent in the backseat, looking down. Perhaps Rick's outburst was exactly what needed to be said in order to put things in perspective. Sometimes, that's what we really need, somebody to tell it like it is so we can see the whole picture. I turned around, looking at them, also feeling a little embarrassed because of what Rick admitted about that first night, but Lori predicted the future, because I had indeed fallen for Melody.

"He's right. Your mom has been through a lot and she seems really happy with Merle, and he already cares so much about you both. I know it's a different setting, but give him a chance. He seems to genuinely love her and I don't think he'll be trying to pull any fast ones, either."

Melody sighed heavily. "Yeah, you're right."

Lori nodded. "We should call her when we get back."

"I agree. Lori, I'm sorry I called you a stupid bitch. I didn't mean it, I was just lashing out."

"I know, Melody. I'm sorry, too. We both said things we shouldn't have."

"You're my big sissy and I love you."

Melody leaned over and embraced Lori, who hugged her just as tightly.

"I love you, too, little sissy. No matter what."

"There, that's better." I looked over at Rick and smiled, leaning in as the girls started chattering away about  _Real Housewives of Beverly Hills_. Rick and Lori had recently been approached to be on the series due to their philanthropy and the rise of Woodbury. They were still thinking about whether or not to partake.

"How long did you know?"

Rick shot me a glance and I could tell he was trying not to smirk. "Honestly? I happened to see a text message she got from him about a month ago saying something about lingerie. What about you?"

Unlike him, I couldn't help but smirk. "I noticed she had blue on her face at the Halloween party and told her about it before anybody else saw, just put two and two together. Do you think it will last?"

"Well, love definitely seems to be in the air, Gareth, so who knows? I hope they do."

"Likewise."

"Baby, I have a craving for Monster tacos stuffed with onion rings and Reese's McFlurry." Lori said from the back seat.

Melody gasped excitedly. "Ooo, that sounds soooo good. I could totally go for a late night foodie drive. Rick, let's go to both places! I want a Strawberry Banana smoothie from McDonald's and the churros from Jack in the Box. Can we, Rick? Please please please?"

Rick and I were both trying not to laugh but couldn't help it.

"Well, I do have a "No eating in the Porsche" rule, but for you girls, I guess I can make an exception."

"Yay!" The girls clasped their hands together and squealed.

"Oh, my gosh, I'm gonna get the M&M cookies and crumble them in my Mcflurry!"

"I could actually go for those sirloin sliders from Jack, too!"

It was funny how in a matter of seconds they went from being at each other's throats to getting excited over junk food. I glanced over at Rick, both of us smiling.

"Never a dull moment, right, Ringleader?"

He nodded. "You got it, man."

We bumped fists, driving off into the night. My relationship with Melody would always have it's ups and downs, like any relationship, but I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world and I was ready to take the ride full throttle.

**_A FEW HOURS LATER_ **

**_Melody's Bedroom_ **

"Wow, what a night." Melody said as we walked into her room. I sat down on her bed, taking my shoes off as I watched her remove her jewelry in front of the vanity.

"You can say that again. I'm glad that you and Lori made that call to your mom. She's a very understanding woman."

"Yes, she is, but what I don't get is how you're so understanding." Melody turned around and looked at me. "I mean, I am obviously abnormal, why do you put up with my shit when you could just as easily have something normal with somebody else?"

I walked over and put my hands on her arms. "Why? Who wants normal? Normal is boring, Melody. We've all got our own oddities, you've seen mine. I wouldn't change a single thing about you, you keep me on my toes."

"Are you sure?"

I nodded, because it was the truth. While there had been a mutual attraction all along, Melody had definitely made me chase her more or less. "Yes, I'm sure. You drive me fucking crazy, but I love you like fucking crazy, too."

We both laughed as our lips united for a kiss. "Fuck fuck fuck. I fucking love you, too, and now we're gonna bone." Melody walked me backwards until I fell back on the bed, a seductive look in her eyes.

"You just wait here, sexy boy, I've got a treat for you." She pulled something out of her goodie drawer and put her phone in her iHome stereo. I watched her sashay into the bathroom, anticipating her return so I could spank that adorable little ass of hers. As far as I was concerned, I never needed another porno again.

A few minutes later, she emerged from the bathroom, wearing a powder blue nightie that was just a bit shorter than her Halloween costume. Either way, my pants were starting to tighten and my pulse quickened.

"You know, it's not my birthday for another two weeks, so whatever you have in store-"

Melody put her finger to her lips, shushing me.

"Relax and enjoy the show." She walked over to the iHome and pressed "Play" before going to the other side of the room. As soon as "Grind On Me" by Pretty Rick started playing, Melody began to dance. The way her body moved in waves and the little spins she would do, for a girl that was a bit shy, she danced like a true stripper.

"God damn, baby, you-"

I was cut off when Melody tripped on her shoe and fell to the ground.

"Are you ok?" I was trying really hard not to laugh, especially with the embarrassed look on her face and her hair slightly askew as she sat up.

"I'm fine. I'm great, I meant to do that." She didn't, but that was ok. Melody began crawling over until being in front of me, spreading my legs and flipping her hair as she swayed up my body, lightly brushing her lips over mine and sank back down again before unbuttoning my shirt.

"You are so sexy… I have to have you…" Without warning, I pulled her up and on top as she did the splits on me, my hands going straight for her butt as we began making out, grinds met by thrusts. It had been a week since we had sex and I couldn't wait any longer or I'd burst.

**_RICK_ **

"How are you feeling? You good?" I asked Lori as I flipped through the channels on the television, trying to ignore the music from Melody's room as Lori stuffed her face with Oreo Brownies mixed in Oreo ice cream.

"Mmhmm. I'm great now, I was just a little cautious, but maybe I misjudged Merle. He does seem to care about Mom."

"I think so, too."

The next thing we heard was Gareth growling like a cheetah, followed by him saying "Melody, you fucking hottie, take it off so I can stick my big cock in you.".

We looked up at the ceiling in time to hear Melody say "Patience comes to those who wait, and I plan on teasing you, hotness. Now, take everything off but your Calvin's.".

I looked over at Lori, who was trying not to laugh as "Pony" by Genuwine started playing. "Do you think we should let them know we can hear them?"

I shrugged before getting out of bed. "Yeah, why not?" In all honesty, it made me a bit uncomfortable.

**_A FEW MINUTES LATER_ **

I knocked on Melody's door, praying I wouldn't regret it. It wasn't that I minded, but I guess it was a little too close for comfort.

Melody answered the door, wearing her kimono and a big smile. "Hi, Rick! What can I do you for?"

It had been a while since I had seen her this happy, so I didn't want to be too demanding. "Hey, Meme. I was just wondering if you could tone it down a bit?"

She nodded, a blush appearing on her cheeks. "Oh, gosh! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to-"

I shook my head, giving her a pat on the shoulder. "No, no, it's fine. Have fun, just be a little more quiet?"

"Not a problem."

"Ok, thanks. Good night."

"Good night, Rick."

I looked over her shoulder to see Gareth blindfolded with his hands tied to either one of the bedposts. Melody raised an eyebrow, trying not to smirk.

"I'll see you in the morning." She smiled as I turned around. I couldn't help but laugh to myself when I walked back into the master bedroom.

"Are you sure your sister didn't read  _Fifty Shades of Grey_?"

Lori nodded. "Yep, she couldn't get through it. Why? What's going on?"

"You should see what's going on in there." I got into bed as Lori's mouth flew open with laughter in her eyes.

"What?! No way. My  _baby_  sister, little Melody?!"

"Yeah."

"This I've gotta see." She threw back the covers, almost powerwalking to the door.

"Lori, wait."

"Sorry, Rick, it has to be seen to be believed."

I waited until I heard Lori say "Holy shit!" from upstairs to allow myself to laugh. We all had different sides to us, some are seen seldom than others, but it makes us who we are. All I know is I'm glad that I didn't pursue anything further with Melody, or it would have ruined both our lives forever. Life was good, I hope it stays that way.

**_Reviews are encouraged! Please read and follow and spread the word! NO FLAMES! :) Also, leave in your review if you think Rick and Lori should consider going on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills! :)_ **


	28. Thankful, Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gareth and Melody discuss their future together and what it holds; Melody finally reads one of her stories to Gareth while he opens up to her about what he used to be; Theresa and Sam have surprises in store.

**Hi everybody! MY GARETH ACTION FIGURE FINALLY ARRIVED TODAY! WOO-HOO! I figured I'd celebrate by posting a new chapter, which I'm surprised I finished at all considering that I've had a stomach flu for days and have been hooked to _Game of Thrones_.**

**Mia is a character from _The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct_ video game. Also, the lemon that Melody reads to Gareth may seem familiar, it's Delilah and Rick's first sex scene from _Forever Rising Phoenix_ , but the story surrounding it is the latest thing I'm working on.**

**I wanna give a special shout out to my beta reader texasbelle91, as well as callmemirna, Chloe Cannon 3, Divergentfangirl123, Headwalkerz, Hey01ig, Joshua the Termite, pen123, Prettyprincess45, and SilverSun09. Please check out their stories, because they are freaking awesome!**

**_WARNING: STRONG SEXUAL CONTENT!_ **

**_Chapter Twenty Eight: Thankful, Part One_ **

**_The Grimes Residence, Wednesday, November 12th, 2:00 AM_ **

**_MELODY_ **

Hearing the faint ringing of "Immortals" by Fall Out Boy on my phone, I stirred slightly in my sleep, now annoyed that the sexy dream I was having of Gareth had been interrupted. Perhaps he had telepathy, because the text was from him, I had just changed his ringtone to that song a few days ago.

The sound of pebbles hitting my window fully woke me. Sitting up in bed and turning around, I ducked underneath the curtain to see what was going on.

Gareth was standing by the barbeque, pebbles in one hand and waving to me with the other. My window faced the backyard, so he must have come in through the side gate. I had to restrain a squeal as I started grinning and waved back. He motioned for me to come outside, which I nodded.

"Well, what do you know? Dreams can come true after all."

As I got up, I glanced at my phone to see his text.

**_~My Love~_ **

**_I'm at your window. Come outside and make sure you're wearing long pajama bottoms._ **

Luckily, I was wearing my grey and white checked pajamas, so I just grabbed a sweatshirt and headed outside, wondering what he had up his sleeve. Either way, I was very excited to find out.

**_THIRTY MINUTES LATER_ **

"It's such a beautiful night out." The sky was a deep midnight blue, coated with clusters of stars and not a cloud in sight. Gareth had surprised me with a lit fire in the fire pit across from a makeshift bed of the comfiest blankets and pillows, two mini jugs of milk, and a scrumptious s'mores cake. It was quite the surprise indeed, definitely the kind of thing that touched my heart. I couldn't be happier, snuggled up to my boyfriend as we kissed and cuddled while going back and forth between watching the stars and the fire.

"Yeah, it is, but when you're around, I don't see anything else."

I looked up as a blush crept across my cheeks. "Thanks, and right back at cha."

"Open wide." Gareth brought his forkful of cake to my mouth, which I accepted with a smile.

"Gareth, if you keep feeding me like this whenever we're together, I'm gonna end up bigger than I was when you first met me. I'll be a house." He always fed me sweets after we had sex, which was romantic as well as cute.

"Ha, not even close, Melody. Everybody is allowed a cheat day. I don't think anything would ever change how lovely I think you are, inside and out. " He pulled me in for a kiss once I swallowed my delicious bite of cake. As we began making out, Gareth on top of me with his hand slipping underneath my shirt to my breast while I ran my hands up his face, a sudden thought occurred.

"Wait, hold on a second."

"What?"

Even though I had broken down my walls, there was still something I felt I needed to know. "When did you first realize you were in love with me?"

Gareth propped his elbow up, resting on his side. "Honestly? That night at the park when you said you wanted to satisfy and take care of me. It really was one of the sweetest things a girl has ever said, to me at least, and I felt like I saw into your soul. The more time we spent together from that point on, the more in love with you I fell, and I'm pretty positive I'll just keep on falling every day for the rest of my life."

I couldn't help but be surprised, for it was probably one of the most sentimental things I had ever heard from a man before.

"What? Was it something I said?"

I shook my head, realizing that I hadn't replied. "No, not at all. It was really beautiful. You're serious though, aren't you? Like you see me in your long-term plans."

"Yes, I do." He tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "What about you? When did you first realize you were in love with me?"

"That same night." I looked up to see we both had love struck smiles on our faces. "We really were meant to be together, huh? It just took longer than I hoped to find you."'

**_GARETH_ **

"I know, it did, but we're here now. I'm not scaring you talking about the future, am I?" Normally, most girls would have been standoffish, but things felt so natural with Melody. To find out we both realized on the same night that we had fallen in love, I couldn't help but think fate played some kind of a hand in it.

She shook her head, looking up at me. "Not at all. If Aiden's death taught me anything, it's that life really is so fragile and could end unexpectedly without any warning whatsoever. What we have, I don't want it to end. Just promise me that we'll work out whatever problems come our way, no matter how big or small."

"I don't want it to end, either, and I solemnly promise."

"Except for there's some things that I'm a little apprehensive over."

"Like what?"

"Well, into the future, if we had a baby, you wouldn't be experiencing everything for the first time like I would, because you've already had it. You've already felt a baby kicking, been there at the birth, witnessed first steps and words."

"Oh, Melody." I stroked my thumb across her cheek, gazing down on the sad expression her face currently wore. "That's not true. Yes, I have experienced it, but it would be my first time having a child with you, so we'd be experiencing it together. Of course I'd be excited."

"Are you sure?"

I nodded. "Absolutely." I couldn't help but think of what it would be like to have children with Melody, but I knew that I wanted it, just like I knew that she would look absolutely beautiful with that pregnancy glow, our child growing inside her, a child made out of pure love. "I'd be excited because I'm with you now. Not Theresa, not anybody else. You."

Melody smiled, filling me with relief that she believed my words, finding reassurance in them. "Thank you for that. It wasn't just the things we have in common or our emotional bond, we have insane physical and sexual chemistry, Gareth."

I couldn't help but chuckle over that. "Yes, yes we do."

"I mean, I always knew that I had a naughty side to me, but I didn't think I'd ever find a connection so powerful like the one we share. You're so finely tuned with my body and I love how you take a chance with what turns me on without even asking. There are days where I feel like without your touch I am breathless. Even when you are around, I can't stop thinking about all the things I want us to explore, I've got a whole sexual bucket list going on."

"Oh? Do tell."

"Ok. Well, I want to have sex in all fifty states and on all seven continents, more public places, too, but the top of my list is doing it every hour on the hour for a full twenty four hours. That and don't get creeped out, but long term, nothing would make me happier than giving you a blowjob two to three times a day."

While she gave me such an innocent look, my mouth was dying to fly open in delighted shock. "Good god, woman. You're too good to be true. Marry me."

Melody burst into a fit of giggles over that. "You're such a dork, Gareth, and I would hope that you wouldn't propose to me like that."

"Ha, don't worry. When it happens, you'll be surprised. Although, while we're at the topic of intimacy, there was something I wanted to discuss with you."

"Really? Same here!"

"Then you go first, I insist." I was curious as to what she had to say.

"Well, it's in regards to our sex life..."

What Melody whispered in my ear made my eyes widen and my cheeks turn red as I proceeded to run a hand through my hair.

"Uh, that's not exactly what I had in mind, honey."

She pulled back with a somewhat puzzled look on her face. "Really? You're not into that? I thought all guys were."

"I've never really thought about it before, but I don't think it's for me."

"Are you sure? Stefon, Aaron, and Eric told me that after the first couple times it's not that bad."

I raised an eyebrow at her. "Wait, you discussed this with them before you discussed it with me?"

"Yes, I had to, and Rosita, also. She loves it, she and Martinez did it a lot."

"What brought this out all of a sudden? I have to say I'm surprised. It's so unlike you."

Melody rested her head on my right shoulder while her hand was on my other one. "Because you're supposed to do that kind of thing with somebody you love, and I love you. I love you so much and I want to give you that."

I smiled before kissing her on the forehead. "I know, but I'm perfectly content and I wouldn't want you to do anything you weren't comfortable with in order to please me. You never have to do that."

"Alright. They also told me that if I stick my-"

"Ok, ok, ok! That's enough of a visual for one night, Melody. I don't think you should be taking sex advice from them anymore, their methods are a little extreme to say the least."

"Maybe, but all this talk of sex has gotten me turned on. I think I'm finally ready to read you one of my stories."

"Really? Alright! Come on, break it out now, I've been waiting for this."

"Ok, simmer down, spaz." Melody pulled out her phone before opening the Notepad app. "Alright, this is just a little something I've been working on. It's about Angeline, this orphaned teen in 1950's Philadelphia who is taken in by her grandmother, where she falls in love with her aunt Petunia's much younger husband Langston. Anyways, I've written out their first sex scene."

"Interesting. I'm all ears, lay it on me." I had been waiting so long to hear Melody's stories, and I'm pretty elated that she's finally sharing. She cleared her throat before speaking.

" ** _A lustful miasma enveloped their minds, no longer able to hold back, and wanting nothing more at this moment than each other. Langston put one hand behind Angeline's head and rested his forearm on the mattress, leaning in and kissing her as he gradually glided forward._**

**_Her walls clenched around his head before he could get his whole erection inside, the rigidity making his eyes cross and a grunt escape from his mouth._ **

**_Angeline's eyes widened and she gasped, gripping onto his shoulders, a slightly pained expression on her face while she fought back tears. His thick phallus fit snugly inside her to the point that it was almost burning. Her gasp made Langston worry and he looked down at her. The last thing he would ever want to do was hurt Angeline, his sweet, beautiful, Angeline._ **

**_"Are you alright? Do you want me to stop?" Langston moved the hair off her forehead, cupping her cheek. The sincere expression his eyes held touched Angeline, and she couldn't believe that he was with her, that he was risking so much for what was wrong when their togetherness felt so right. This feeling was new to her, genuine warmth and fond kindness. It was something she could get used to and never wanted to let go of._ **

**_Angeline shook her head. "No. Just take it slow, like you were doing." She was eager to feel the rest of him._ **

**_"Ok." He leaned in and kissed Angeline to loosen her up as he slowly finished pushing. Once his full length was all the way inside her, they were both able to relax, adjusting to the other's tautness. Langston began moving up and down, building his speed little by little. She was so wet and warm, it tantalized his cock to maximum hardness, groaning as he felt the space tighten. The fact that it had been so long was irrelevant, he was back in the swing of things. There was nowhere Langston would rather be in the world than in Angeline, all for him and nobody else._ **

**_Angeline loved the way he felt, like he belonged there, cherishing how he took his time to make sure that she was fulfilled and comfortable before taking care of his own needs. She felt so small in his embrace, overpowered by a crashing tidal wave of wanton and adoration, but she knew that it was the only thing in this destroyed universe that made sense, providing the urge of going through with her thoughts about giving herself to him, mind, body, and soul. Angeline sighed deeply, the way he soared in and out made her quiver. This was the first encounter she had with an experienced lover, so caring and affectionate, it left her knowing she had to have more. "Langston, please, go faster… I can handle it, I want this so badly, I want all of you so badly-"_ **

Melody let out a surprised gasp when I cut her off and pressed our lips together. Our tongues began crossing back and forth in each other's mouths, tasting of decadent s'mores. She pulled back in confusion.

"Gareth! Where is this coming from?"

I grabbed her face, kissing her again, even more heated than before. "Your story has me so turned on, your writing is incredible. I'll pull out, baby, I promise. I have to be inside you right now." My hands started roaming all over Melody's body as I kissed her neck, causing her to moan and melt into my touch. My loins were begging to be unleashed, to satisfy my craving for this unbelievable creature.

"Alright, but wait, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"I wanted to ask if you would consider going on the pill. If not, that's totally fine, but it would be so much easier for us to have spontaneous sex, like right now." Alex was the one who made the suggestion, and I had to say it wasn't half bad. Like I said, it would lead to more spontaneous sex, which would be a real thrill.

"I'll have to ask Dr. Milton and my OBGYN, it might not mix well with my other medications, but I really like the idea." She put her hands on my face, kissing me with such passion before shoving her hand down the front of my pants.

"Mmm, someone's feisty…" I pulled the comforter over us as she started giggling between kisses…

**_Gareth's House, Encino, Sunday, November 16th, 11:45 am_ **

"Saharan Island, 56 Across. What is it?" Melody glanced over at me. It was a grey, pouring rain lazy Sunday morning, which is exactly what Southern California needed. Melody and I had camped out in my room with piping hot coffee and the heater on, Taj Mahal softly playing while I did some work on my iPad and she did the New York Times crossword puzzle.

"I have no idea, babe. Your guess is as good as mine."

"Oh, come on, Gareth. You're one of the smartest people I've ever met, I know you can solve it."

"Ha, me? I'm not the one that got into four Ivy League schools. If anybody can finish that crossword puzzle, it's you." Earlier in the week, Melody had received acceptance letters to Brown and Yale, the latter being her father's alma mater, but she still wasn't sure which school to attend.

"Meh, there's days where I feel like that was a fluke, ya know?" She flipped her hair, I was in a trance watching the way it fell down her bare back. We were both shirtless, I was in my boxer briefs and glasses while Melody was wearing black yoga pants and an old pair of my glasses for fun. Seeing her laying on her stomach, so immersed in the paper and so exposed, it was really turning me on.

"Heelllooo? Gare Bear?" Melody snapped her fingers, diverting me from my thoughts. "Did you hear anything I said?"

"Huh? Of course I did. You worked really hard, you know that. I was just thinking of how sexy you looked with no top and my glasses on, not to mention how cute those pants make your butt look." I gave her a suggestive look as she rolled her eyes.

"Please, you act like you haven't seen a naked girl before. You've had plenty of chicks."

"Actually, I haven't. There were days were I thought I'd never get a girlfriend, I was such a geek, Melody. Like Dungeons and Dragons status." In fact, I still was. Every third Thursday of the month, I get together with Albert, Alex and Martin to play the game. We've even included Glenn, the two of us joking about how dorks like us managed to land total hotties as girlfriends, and Noah was interested in playing this month.

"It wasn't until I was at Starbucks after hours one night showing the closing ropes to a new barista that things changed." I smirked to myself, thinking of how she dominated me. Mia was a twenty six year old bisexual with a body that resembled Christina Hendricks from _Mad Men_. I was only seventeen at the time, and I remember her pinning me down and making me a man on the cold tiled floor of the international coffeehouse. "And now, I am the suave man and experienced lover before you today."

"Yes, but you forgot to mention yummy and irresistible." Melody took the glasses off and crawled over until she was straddling me.

"As are you, love, absolutely delicious." I smiled, taking my glasses off, my eyes never leaving her beautiful breasts.

"Gareth, stop looking at my boobs."

"What? Can you blame me?"

"Hey." She tilted my chin up so I could face her. "There's more to me than just chesticles. Although, it is pretty cute how you get this Christmas morning smile on your face every time you see them."

"I'm well aware… like the fact that you're extremely ticklish…" I raised an eyebrow before throwing Melody down, tickling her sides as she giggled and kicked madly.

"Gareth, no! I can't, I'm gonna pee my pants!"

This continued for another few minutes, us rolling around on the bed, laughing and tussling, her giggles then turning to light moans when I began to lick and fondle her breasts, knowing that a certain flickering of my tongue would make her putty in my hands.

"Mmmm, Gareth… I love it when you do that. Your tongue is so talented."

I kissed up from her breasts. "Oh yeah? My tongue isn't the only thing that's talented, you know." Our fingers intertwined, I raised Melody's arms behind her head as I kissed and sucked on her neck, ravaging her, smiling to myself when she quivered against me. We were so lost in each other that only the door flinging open brought us back to reality.

"Dude! Bro! Oh, my god! It's an emergency!"

I looked up to see my brother had barged into my room and was rifling through my drawers. Melody didn't even flinch, just holding me tightly to her in order not to reveal anything, but I had become irritated.

"Alex, what the hell?! Get the fuck out of here!" I reached across and threw a pillow, to which he completely ignored.

"Yeah, I'll only be a second. Ahh, here it is." He pulled a lighter out of my drawer and smiled. "Found it. I lost mine."

I scoffed, looking at him in pure annoyance. "Really? You barged into my room for a lighter?"

"Yep."

"Can't you see I'm kind of in the middle of something?"

He nodded with a smile. "Yes, I can. Melody, I'm _so_ glad you're here right now! I need your advice ASAP." Alex walked over and flopped down on the bed across from us.

"Alex, not now!"

"Yes, now! I'm desperate, big bro! Please, Melody?"

"Uh, ok…" She looked up at me. "It'll be quick, I'm sure. Just stay on top of me." Melody glanced over at Alex. "What's on your mind, Alex?"

Alex ripped open a bag of Munchies and began to stuff his face. "Ok, like, I'm twenty five, ya know? I've banged a lot of chicks, but I'm kind of getting bored with it. It's so easy to have a chick for the night, especially the drunk ones because they are oblivious to my deformity. I gotta ask, as a woman, does size matter?"

" ** _AL-EX! SHUT UP!"_**

While I was now mortified, I could tell Melody was a little embarrassed, as well as trying not to laugh.

"Well…"

"Gareth! I folded your laundry!" My mom then walked in the room with her laundry basket of freshly washed clothes and started putting them away. "Melody, sweetie, will you be joining us for dinner tonight? I'm using your Moroccian chicken stew recipe."

"Mom!"

"Sure, Mary. I can't wait."

I looked down on Melody, utterly embarrassed. "I am so sorry about all this, I promise I'll make it up to you."

She shrugged. "Don't worry about it. In a sick way, this is actually kind of funny."

"Mel-o-dyyy! My question! Size, woman!"

Mom scoffed. "Honey, you can't go around asking every female about this! Just post an anonymous poll on Buzzfeed, you'll probably get more results." She laughed to herself before strolling out of the room.

"Well, if a girl really likes you, size won't matter. A guy could have the biggest member, but if he's a real dick, then it's irrelevant. While goofy, you're a nice, good-natured guy. The right girl will come along."

"About that, you have so many hot friends, please find me one just like you so I can be lucky like my brother?"

Melody smiled over at him. "I'll certainly try my best for you."

"Awe-soooommmeee! Hugs all around!"

"Later! Just get out, Alex! Please?" I glanced at him, half annoyed/half desperate because I had been blue balled for the past five minutes. To my relief, Alex got up.

"Fine, fine, fine. Bye, Tits McGee. Bye, Bone Rager." He waved behind him as he closed the door.

"Urgh, finally."

Melody started twirling the bottom of my hair between her fingers. "Hey, Gareth, just out of curiosity, have you ever considered moving out?"

I nodded. "Yes. This was only supposed to be temporary, I figured the best thing was for me and Autumn Montana to be surrounded by family, especially since the house was newly finished. Then I got caught up with work and just put it on the back burner, but now that you mention it, I should probably start, and God knows Albert has a ton of listings. Will you come with me to look?"

"Of course I will. Do you think we can pick this up again in a little while? Now you have me all hot and bothered."

"You've got it." We laughed to each other as I got up and locked the door. With a hungry look in my eyes, I grabbed both of Melody's ankles in one hand before yanking her pants off, my grin broadening over the bare naked goddess on my bed.

**_If only the jackasses from high school could see what I had now…_ **

I hoped that once I found the right place, I could ask Melody at some point to move in, which would be really wonderful. What more could I ask for?

**_5:00 pm_ **

**_MELODY_ **

"Daddy!"

Autumn Montana burst through the door and into Gareth's arms, not even bothering to take off her raincoat or rain boots. He didn't seem to mind as he spun her around in a fit of giggles.

"Cupcake! Oh, I missed you so much!" They stopped spinning to give each other a kiss. "Hey, Autumn, look who's here." He turned her around in my direction, and I smiled when her little face lit up, but not before sneezing first.

"Melody!" Autumn Montana jumped out of Gareth's arms and into mine, giving me a huge hug. "I missed you!"

"Hi, cutie pie! I missed you, too!" I gave her a kiss on the head as I returned the hug. While I had had some experience with children, I really cherished the relationship that was blossoming with Autumn Montana, she's such a little angel.

"Hello, Melody."

An icy voice sent a chill into the room even more so than the cracked open door did from the pouring rain outside. We looked over to see Theresa and Sam in the doorway, the former had her signature glare and the latter with his trademark goof troupe grin. I could feel Gareth tense up just looking at them.

"Hello, Theresa, Sam."

Theresa motioned her daughter over. "A.M., come say good bye and then go change your clothes into something warm, you don't want your cough to get worse."

"Ok. Bye, Mommy. Bye, Sam. I love you." Autumn Montana gave them both big hugs and kisses before going upstairs.

I grabbed Gareth's hand, knowing he probably wanted to punch a bitch into next week. Not only was the man that was half the cause to the dark period of his life in the house he worked his ass off to buy, but that his own flesh and blood was saying she loved him.

"Hey, is it possible that we could talk to you guys? It's important." Sam asked, shoving his hands in his pockets.

Gareth and I exchanged a glance as he nodded. "Uh, ok, sure. Let's go into the family room." He grabbed my hand, walking ahead while they took their shoes off.

"What do you think they could possibly have to say?" I asked.

"I have no idea, but why do I get the feeling that I'm going to get a headache over it?"

I rubbed his shoulder as we sat down on the couch. "I don't know, but it'll be ok. I'm here, just take a deep breath."

Theresa and Sam sat down across from us. While Theresa was calm in her coldness, Sam was fidgety and could not sit still, almost bouncing on the couch and looking around the room.

"This is a really nice place here. I feel like I can't move or I'll break something." He awkwardly laughed.

"Yeah, thanks. So, what's going on? Is this about Autumn?"

Theresa shook her head. "Not necessarily."

Sam cleared his throat. "Well, Theresa and I have been together pretty much the whole year, we're already sharing a home, so why not share other aspects of our lives, too?"

Once again, Gareth tensed up, and even I knew what was coming next. "Are you saying-"

Theresa nodded. "Yep, you guessed it. I'm four months pregnant."

"Babe, that's not all!" Sam kissed her cheek as he laughed. "We got married at the courthouse last week!"

"Uh, that's great. Congratulations I guess?" Gareth shrugged, trying to act unmoved, he really seemed to care less.

"Thanks, man. Well, I know it hasn't been easy considering how everything went down, but don't you think it's time we put all the anger aside and start over? A new life is being brought into the world because of us. Besides, I really think it's important that Autumn Montana's two daddies get along, and who knows? Maybe some day she'll have two mommies, also… one of them with humongous titties…"

I literally felt my heart stop at his words. Sam had made an attempt to be mature, but the two daddies comment was the absolute wrong timing, not to mention the remark about my breasts was simply stupid. My poor boyfriend was a wreck and I was unsure how this would go down next.


	29. Thankful, Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gareth and Melody come to an agreement with Sam and Theresa; Melody helps Gareth take care of Autumn Montana, who has chicken pox, all the while introducing her to an old friend. After revealing more of herself to Gareth, Melody comes up with a fantastic idea for his birthday, but will need Martin's help to pull it off.

**Hi everybody! I saw _Fifty Shades of Grey_ this weekend at the $3 with my bestie, and THANK GOODNESS it was so cheap, because not only was it so bad that we walked out, but we demanded out money back! People were actually falling asleep! Seriously, it was TERRIBLE! You'll see that my newest _Game of Thrones_ obsession has even crossed over to this story. Hehe. Goober was mentioned in earlier chapters, but now he's finally here!**

**I wanna give a special shout out to my beta reader texasbelle91, as well as callmemirna, Chloe Cannon 3, Headwalkerz, Joshua the Termite, pen123, Prettyprincess45, and SilverSun09. Please check out their stories, because they are freaking awesome!**

**_WARNING: LANGUAGE AND STRONG SEXUAL CONTENT!_ **

**_Chapter Twenty Nine: Thankful, Part Two_ **

**_GARETH_ **

I sat there on the couch, just staring at Sam, or rather staring through him. He couldn't be serious, could he? Why on earth would I even have a conversation with him after what went down? The fact that we're even in the same room and I'm not strangling him is huge for me. Melody gently squeezed my hand, but I was irritated as all hell, I had held my tongue for long enough and it was time to unleash.

"Sam, I don't know if you're naturally aloof or if you're high 24/7, but it's time for you to wake up from the peace, love, and flowers dream you're stuck in, and I'm about to make that happen. The only way you are related to _my_ daughter at all is by name in marriage. She only has _one_ father, and that's me. It's not enough that you took Theresa, now you're trying to put the moves on Melody? You broke up a family, asswipe, you're no better than bubblegum on the bottom of my shoes."

Sam just shrugged. "Dude, I'm sorry. I told Theresa to break up with you, but we couldn't deny our attraction. Also, Autumn Montana isn't all yours, she's half Theresa's, too. Another thing, it's not my fault that your new gal pal has Dolly Parton tits." He nodded his head over at Melody, who looked down in shame, her uncomfortable shift upsetting me further because it was all thanks to Sam.

"I don't give a shit, Melody is my girlfriend and yes, one day she will be more than that, but she's mine so keep your mouth shut about her body. Theresa doesn't work her ass off like I do to provide for our daughter, but she has no problem living off my dime and making sure you do, too."

Theresa's glare intensified. "Gareth, that is such a lie and you know it! Sam was the only one paying any attention to me, he made me feel desired again, unlike you. Us moving out to So Cal was the worst thing that could have happened. It completely changed you and you started working overtime, you were never home, we hardly ever made love anymore, I was lucky if I got it at all. You stopped being the carefree, outspoken vegan hipster I fell in love with and became this meat eating, sports car driving Type A yuppie asshole."

"We all have to make sacrifices for our careers. Moving changed you, too, don't act like it hasn't. Instead of being happy for me that I was providing us with a better life, you were jealous because you couldn't make it. You're a great artist, Theresa, and I'm sorry that things haven't worked out yet, maybe they will in the future. As crazy as this sounds, maybe you cheating on me was the best thing to ever happen to us."

She raised her eyebrows at me. "What the hell are you talking about?"

I couldn't believe I was about to say this, but I was impressed with myself for coming to this conclusion. "Let's face it, things haven't been the same between us since you got pregnant. I wouldn't take back Autumn Montana for anything in the world, but it definitely changed who you were as a person, at least towards me. I felt like you blamed me for not wanting to give her up, which is why I went above and beyond to make it work so we could be a happy family. You took me for granted and didn't want things to work, I just wish that you had approached me about wanting to break up. Even though I despise Sam," I glared over, which made him gulp. "I can see that he's the one you want. In a way, I guess I should say thank you, because if it hadn't been for you cheating on me, Melody and I never would have gone out and I never would have fallen in love with her like I did. So, I have a proposal: If you agree to be nicer to Melody, I'll be nicer to Sam, but I won't forgive or forget it. Ok?"

While my disdain for either one of them would never go away, perhaps it wasn't doing me any good to be so insolent. Even though I despise him, Sam did have a point with all of us getting along for the sake of Autumn Montana, and it would probably mean that Theresa would a better co-parent with me.

Sam nodded. "That's all I'm asking for, Gareth. I just think we should get along. The fighting is just gonna create more destruction, man. We can do without it, "

Theresa sighed heavily. "You're right." She turned to Melody, with a guilty expression on her face. "I'm sorry I was such a royal cunt to you. Pregnancy hormones, ya know? When I first saw you, I was under the impression you were some stripper whore with fake tits that was only using Gareth for his money, but you're actually pretty in an ethnic kind of way and seem trustworthy enough to be around my child. With that, I suppose I can make a better effort to be nicer to you."

Melody didn't exactly know what to say, I think she was in shock over the ethnic comment, but all she did was nod and smile politely. "Thank you, and it's alright. My older sister is four months pregnant also, so I definitely know about the hormones." She laughed, which was followed by light laughter from the rest of us, resulting in a much-needed moment of levity.

**_FIVE MINUTES LATER_ **

"How are you doing, you ok?" Melody asked, rubbing my back as I closed the door behind Theresa and Sam.

I turned around, heavily sighing. "I don't know. Nothing will ever change, I still think Sam is an idiot, but I guess this is the most practical solution for everybody. I hate for this to be déjà vu, but why do you put up with my shit when you could just as easily have something normal with somebody else?"

I looked at her with such uncertainty and sadness. Melody was still a baby in some ways, she was so young, what if one day she realized that this was too much for her to handle?

She took my face in her hands, almost mirroring my look, but with a trifle of hopefulness. "Because I love you, that's why, and when you love somebody, you endure everything right along with them. Even though Sam is a first class idiot, you've got to give him credit for bringing this up with you. I'm not taking sides, but maybe this needed to happen so you can co-parent better with Theresa. No matter what happens, I'll be by your side every step of the way. You never have to doubt my feelings."

"Hopefully, it works out in the long run."

"I think it will. I'm gonna make Autumn Montana some hot chocolate and a cuppa tea for myself. Can I get you anything?"

I shook my head, a smile slowly forming on my face. "I'm good, I have you and that's all I need."

**_Gareth's House, 1:00 pm_ **

**_TWO DAYS LATER_ **

**_MELODY_ **

"Hey, Melody. Thanks so much for getting everything for me, I would have gone myself but-"

I shook my head as I walked inside the house. "Don't worry about it, I came as soon as you texted. How is she?"

Gareth heavily sighed. "She's having a rough time not scratching, I actually had to put mittens on her, but she stopped throwing up and has been sleeping on and off. It turns out that Luke, Sam's precious little bundle of joy, was the one that gave her the chicken pox, because now he has them."

"Awww, the poor sweet girl." Autumn Montana had arrived to Gareth's on Sunday with a bit of a cold, which had evolved into chicken pox in the course of two days. Gareth had taken the day off work and was taking care of her completely on his own since everybody else was out of the house for the day and wouldn't be back until later. Naturally, my maternal instincts kicked in and I rushed over.

"I know, I wish she didn't have to go through this."

"Me too, but we're going to help her feel much better." I started pulling things out of my bag as we walked into the kitchen. "I got some oats for an oatmeal bath, calamine lotion, grape Jello mix because I know she likes purple, some Hello Kitty popsicles, and ingredients to make chicken noodle soup, but the warm Jello juice will help with her sore throat. My mom has been using it as a cure all remedy since we were little."

He looked over at me, a smile on his tired face. "You're an angel, ya know that?" Gareth walked over and embraced me. "I don't deserve you, you're too good to me."

I was about to scoff and say something when he pulled me in for a kiss. Closing my eyes, I lost sight of things for a moment, the chill from the cold air I had been in outside now melted away from the warmth of his arms and the hotness of his breath now in my mouth as our tongues crossed and uncrossed. His hands traveled downwards-

"Daddy!"

We separated, both flustered with flushed faces from the sudden rush of passion and obviously wanting more, but it would have to wait.

"Later?" He asked, running a hand through his hair, I was just as embarrassed as he was.

"Uh huh." I said with a nod, knowing exactly what I had in store for my boyfriend later on.

 

"Sorry, Autumn, I was opening the door for Melody." Gareth walked into her room as I followed behind him.

"The thermometer went off. Hi, Melody!" Autumn Montana smiled at me the best she could before coughing. She was under the covers with an ice bag on her head and a thermometer in her mouth. Violet was curled up next to her wearing a white and red nurse's dress and hat, standing vigil, of course.

"Hi, apple bottom, how are you holding up?"

"I'm alright."

Gareth sat down on the bed, taking the thermometer out and studying it before putting the back of his hand on her forehead and both cheeks. "Your fever broke, that's good."

Autumn Montana's little face crumbled into a devastated expression. "Daddy, this is awful! I feel so itchy everywhere, and these mittens are killing me! Can't I please just scratch one teeny spot?" She started crying, which broke our hearts.

"Awww, my little dove." Gareth bent down and wrapped Autumn Montana in a hug, giving her head a kiss. "It's going to be ok. I know it's hard not to scratch, but you can't or it will leave scars. You don't want to be scarred, do you?"

She shook her head. "No."

"I know exactly what will make you smile." He got up and turned to me as he walked out the door. "Stay here with her, I'll be right back."

"You got it." I sat down on the bed, giving Autumn Montana a hug as I reached for a tissue. "Don't cry, sweetheart. Your daddy and I are so proud of you for not scratching, you're such a brave girl." I started wiping her eyes. "You know what my mommy used to tell me whenever I cried?"

"No, what?"

"Two things. The first one was "Don't cry, shopgirl. Don't cry."." I smiled to myself, thinking back on _You've Got Mail_ , where the quote originated. Tom Hanks had said it to Meg Ryan at the end of the film, when it's finally revealed that he's been her online pen pal the whole duration. Our family is pretty big on quoting movies and deriving nicknames from them as well. "The second thing she said to me was that my eyelashes were so long already that I didn't need to cry because tears make your lashes grow longer."

"Really, they do?"

I nodded. "Yep, and you have long eyelashes just like me. You're not trying to break a world record, are you?"

She giggled, no longer crying. "No, I'm not. You're the best, Melody!" Autumn Montana reached over and gave me a tight hug, Violet sitting on my lap to join in.

I almost wanted to cry, this was such a sweet moment with this little human, and it made me excited for having my own children in the future. All I hoped was that I would be as good of a mother as Mom and Lori, Carol and Mary, too. Luckily, I had a lot of motherly figures in my life.

"Autumn Montana, guess who's come out of hiding to see you?"

We looked over to see a Charlie McCarthy dummy dressed in a tuxedo with a blue undershirt, red flower, and brown hair underneath a top hat. Autumn Montana squealed and clapped her hands.

"Goober! It's you!"

I smiled as Gareth walked in with the dummy and sat down on the bed. He had told me about his ventriloquist days, but I had yet to see the famed puppet.

"Hiya, A.M.. I hear you have the chicken pox."

She nodded. "Yeah, and I can't scratch them."

Goober shook his head, his eyes blinking before speaking in the slightly high-pitched voice again. "That's right. It's important not to scratch. I had the chicken pox when I was your age, it was miserable but it went by quickly, and now look at me. Ta-da!" Goober's arms and legs splayed out in the splits and the top hat came off and on again. "You promise you won't scratch for me, right, cutie pie?"

"Yes, I promise."

Goober then looked over at me with his eyes blinking rapidly, his head going up and down. "Wowie! Who's your friend here?"

"That's Melody, she's Daddy's girlfriend."

I smiled triumphantly, amazed at how I didn't see Gareth's lips move once, even though I knew he was a little rusty.

Gareth smirked as he repeated Goober's actions, pivoting the dummy towards me. "Ha-cha-cha. She's a pretty girl, that's for sure. Hey, sweet cheeks, how about some sugar before I hit the road?"

"Oh, alright." With a small giggle, I leaned in and kissed Goober on the cheek, whose mouth started flying open and his head began bobbing again.

"AOUGA! That was something else. Call me later, doll face. I'll see you around, Autumn Montana. Until then, be a good girl and never lose that smile."

Gareth picked Goober up, making him dance a bit and take a bow. He smiled over at Autumn. "How are you feeling, baby girl? Are you happy now?"

"Yeah! Cuz I'm happy, happy, happy, happy!" She started giggling and hugged Violet.

"That's what I like to hear."

"Me, too. Come on, let's go downstairs. Your dad will get you and Violet all comfy cozy on the couch while I make you Jello juice and chicken noodle soup. I think PBS is running an _Arthur_ marathon right now, too."

Autumn Montana smiled up at me. "Ok, I can't wait!"

In a way, this kind of felt like my own little family. I suppose it made sense, because if/when Gareth and I get married, Autumn Montana would be my stepdaughter. Gareth was already such a wonderful dad, which made me want children with him that much more.

**_11:10 pm_ **

**_GARETH_ **

"Finally done." I shut off my computer, having been working for the last three hours on the graphics video that was to be presented at the next meeting for Crest toothpaste.

"Gare, have you ever thought about doing more freelance work?" Melody asked from the bathroom. She had really been incredible today with helping me take care of Autumn Montana. I could do it myself, but she offered out of the goodness of her heart, which had always been one of her redeeming qualities.

"Yeah, but I figured I'd get stir crazy from not being at the office as much."

"You really are a Wonderboy, aren't you?" Melody said as she came out of the bathroom, once again wearing one of my button up shirts. "I mean, you do it all. You're a dedicated worker, amazing dad, you're just something else."

I shrugged as I stood up and walked over to her. "Meh, I guess, but you forgot to mention fantastic boyfriend."

"Duh, of course you are… which is why I want to take care of you tonight."

She stood on her tiptoes and kissed me deeply. We had a brief moment earlier today in the kitchen, and I could tell we were both anxious to pick up where we left off.

"What did you have in mind?"

Melody's eyes never left mine as she slowly unbuttoned the shirt, one by one, teasing me a little until fully taking it off and dropping it to the floor. Underneath, she was completely naked, freshly clean and shaven from the shower, all lathered up in her coconut and peach lotion, her long hair flowing around her waist. I could feel my mouth hanging open a bit.

"Wow…"

Running her hands up my chest, she kissed me again, the passion intensified as her breasts were pressed into me. I wrapped my arms around her, pulling us closer together as we fell back on the bed, too consumed by lust to laugh in euphoria.

Once I was in the center of the bed, our lips never separating with Melody's knees around my waist, my hands began to rove over her hot naked body. There was something so hot about her being nude and me fully dressed in my jeans, white T shirt, black and red checked flannel, it felt almost naughty. Starting with her shoulders, going down to her beautiful breasts, making Melody sigh into my mouth as I massaged them and pinched her nipples, both of us getting even more turned on, but it wasn't until my hands went to her stomach that she flinched away.

"What? What's the matter?"

Melody sat up, trying not to look at me. "They aren't gone yet… I don't want you to feel them until they are."

I felt the mood fade a little; I knew she was talking about the stretch marks on her stomach and hips. It hurt that no matter what I said to her, how truly beautiful I thought she was, that Melody still had glimmers of being self-conscious. Suddenly, an idea came to mind.

"Hold on a sec."

I got up from the bed, opening one of my desk drawers and pulling out a few magic markers. As I sat down again, I put my hand on her hip and began tracing over it.

"Gareth, what are you doing?" Melody asked, looking down as I repeated the action to the right hip before drawing on her stomach. I sat back, admiring my artwork.

"Well, I decided to do a little body art on you. The hand marks on your hips are so you remember my hands always belong there, and the flames on your stomach are because you're smoking hot."

She smiled at me, the light and joy finally returning to her eyes. "You're so incredible."

Melody kissed me again until we were fully lying on the bed. My hands slid down to her thighs, kneading the flesh of her ass until she could feel my hardened bulge. She pulled back a little, biting her lip seductively as she unbuttoned my pants, pulling the fly down.

"Oh, Gareth, please don't forget that I'm always yours. No matter what any guy says to me, especially some idiot like Sam, they don't come anywhere close to meaning as much to me as you do."

I nodded, stroking her hand. "I know, and you know I feel the same way."

"I want to do what you always do to me… you know…"

I happened to know _exactly_ what she was talking about. Every time we talked about being intimate, I never once heard Melody refer to intercourse as I did, which was making love, and I figured now was as good of time as any to ask.

"Why can't you say it, Melody?"

Her face flushed as she looked down, avoiding all eye contact. "I don't know." I could tell she was trying not to giggle when her voice came out a mousy squeak.

"Well, maybe I shouldn't have thrown it around so loosely. Except that's the term my mom taught me and when I said it, I was actually in love with you, so I knew it would happen. It's kind of cute, actually, how you get so shy."

She finally looked into my eyes with the same look from the other day when Sam and Theresa left. "It's hard to believe that somebody with such a dysfunctional dating history could be so in love. I liked you all along and was fighting it, but you got me to knock down every single one of my walls, even though it took some time. I feel safe with you, we've felt similar pain and bonded because of it."

"We have, and it's what makes our relationship so strong. Please say it, Melody. Look into my eyes and say it."

With a sigh, she opened her mouth. "I want to make love to you, Gareth Mandel. _Ajjalan anha zalat vitiherat yer hatif. "_

My face broke out into the biggest smile. "Melody, if you thought I was hard earlier, I really am now, because you just gave me the biggest nerd boner." She had just spoken in Dothraki, which was a language featured in one of my favorite shows, _Game of Thrones_. The translation of it is " _Tonight I would look upon your face.",_ which is what Danerys Targaryen told her husband Kahl Drogo when she finally got the courage to be sexually dominant.

Smiling, she pulled my throbbing erection through the hole in my boxers, making my eyes cross over sucking the precum before taking the whole thing in her mouth.

"Oh, yeah, make it real wet and sloppy, babe. That's my girl."

My heart beat accelerated and my whole body tingled as Melody popped my cock out of her mouth before grabbing and hovering over it. As she sank down, a tiny gasp emitted from her throat. She had gone on the pill, and the fit without a condom was considerably tighter, yet it was still something we were both getting used to. After adjusting to my entire length sheathed deeply inside, she started to move her hips in small circles, nice and slow.

"Oh, God. Melody. You feel so unbelievable." I laid back, my hands on her thighs as I let her take complete control.

**_MELODY_ **

I put my hands on Gareth's chest, my gaze boring into his while I began to undulate my hips in circles on his member. This wasn't my first time being on top, but it was the first time that the other person wasn't entirely controlling my movements. It had taken a lot of guts, but this was something I had really wanted to do.

Gareth's moans and the strokes of my thighs turned me on further, and I started grinding into him, picking up the pace little by little as his hands made their way to the spot he had marked me with. He was right, his hands really did belong there. The head of his dick was hitting my G spot repeatedly as his hands caressed my breasts, my nipples hardening into tight nubs. With my increased arousal brought about my increased confidence, I began to go even faster on Gareth, making waves with my body, exactly what was done in the numerous pornos I had seen first hand on the set. I kind of liked it that I was naked and he was still clothed, it was hot and it also meant that I was completely vulnerable in my own skin, nothing to conceal.

Whenever we had sex, there was something that felt forbidden, as if we shouldn't be doing it because I was still a little girl, but I wasn't. I'm a young woman with a healthy sexual appetite that I'm expressing with my boyfriend, the man that I love and gave myself to. It had been part of the reason why I started taking birth control, and Gareth was right, it _definitely_ felt more liberating. I just had to be on top of taking it so we wouldn't have a pregnancy scare.

"Mmm, Gareth, we should do this more often." In the midst of my soft grinds, I pulled him up by the collar of his T-shirt, wrapping my hands around the back of his head, our gazes locking.

"Melody, you're so beautiful. I love you. Do you hear me? I love you so much."

Gareth had just said the words that Aiden said when I imagined it was him on top of me instead of Shane. It was those words that let me know this love was real. Before I could reply, he pressed his lips to mine in an ardent kiss, our tongues massaging back and forth as he moved me faster.

The passion we had for one another reminded me of an English period piece, like the chemistry that Jonathan Rhys-Meyers and Natalie Dormer had as Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn in _The Tudors._ It was sweet yet raw and intense, like we would die without the other's touch, that one's kiss was the other's elixir to live.

"Fuck! Melody, I'm-"

Gareth pulled out and laid me down, furiously jerking himself until he came all over my stomach, breasts and neck. The hotness became sticky, staining my silky skin with his own arousal, branding me with his seed. Once he was finished, panting heavily, I smiled up at him.

"Did you enjoy yourself?"

He looked down, laughing as he leaned sideways and kissed me tenderly. "That was so hot. You're right, we should do that more often."

"I agree. It was pretty hot that you came all over me. I love watching you come."

"I'm glad you think so, I love when your dominate side comes out."

"Dually noted." I stood up, walking towards the bathroom, but not before glancing over my shoulder. "I need another shower after that sexy love explosion of yours, care to join me?"

"Hell yes. I'd never turn down a shower with you. Besides, it's _my_ turn to make _you_ come now." His smile broadened, the sly twinkle in his eyes sending shivers down my spine until they arrived at my inner core.

As Gareth took his clothes off and I turned the shower on, I studied myself in the mirror, something that was once done everyday that I hadn't actually done in a while. My body shape is a cross between an hourglass or a lollipop at the top and the rest is more banana shaped, I've always felt oddly misproportioned. Mom says I have short legs, but I've always thought they were long, the hyper extensiveness of them sometimes made my thighs look bigger than they are. My waist is long and goes inward, which made it look like I have love handles, my hips are too low, and my 40DD breasts that I've had since I was thirteen are way too big for my frame and pretty noticeable.

I have toned up over the past couple months and lost quite a few pounds, my posture had improved, I didn't wear the shaper tank tops or wrap my stomach as much, and my butt wasn't smaller than I thought. The stretch marks were a different story, unfortunately. I had started the laser treatments and cocoa butter, but they were still changing in color almost daily. Either way, I was still self-conscious, until I looked down at the handprints and flames Gareth had drawn on, making me smile.

He really was so sweet, always going out of his way to make sure I was comfortable. At that moment, I came up with a fantastic idea, to show not only how much I love him, but also that I love how he loves me and my body.

**_The Next Day, Woodbury, 11:11 am_ **

Truth be told, this wasn't the easiest thing I had ever done, but the outcome wasn't entirely on me. A good portion depended on the person on the other side of this door; I just hoped this would go in my favor. I knocked on the door slowly, a voice from the other side telling me to come in. With a deep breath and my shoulders back, I opened the door and strutted forward, catching him off guard with my buttoned blazer, tank top, pleated mini skirt, and heels, a pure professional with a touch of sexy.

"Hello, _Martin_."

His infamous cocky grin appeared on that stupid face. "Why, hel-lo Melondy. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

I had to restrain from rolling my eyes, he was so predictable. "There's some things we need to discuss."

"Really? I'm kind of surprised to see you here, especially after the last time we saw each other."

As I sat on the edge of his desk, I figured a compliment was a good icebreaker of sorts. "Well, to quote Rosita, you're cute in a white trash kind of way. That and you've made Woodbury a lot of money, so it's nice to know you're good for something."

"Thanks, but you should probably know Rosita didn't have much to say with my kielbasa shoved down her throat."

This time, I couldn't help the eye roll. "God, you really are such a disgusting pig, but lucky for you, it's not the reason why I'm here today. Listen, not only are you my boyfriend's design partner, you also happen to be one of his best friends. Gareth means a lot to both of us, which means that we need to find some common ground and get along. What do you say, Martin?"

He popped his gum for a couple more seconds, and if he did it again, I was going to stick it in his hair. Finally, Martin shrugged. "Fine, I'm cool with whatever you want to do. On my end, it was pretty disrespectful towards you and Gareth, what I did. Although, with tits and ass like yours, it's not like it's the first time you've ever heard that kind of thing before."

"I'm going to take it that that's your form of an apology, so, thank you. Now that we've cleared the air, the second reason I'm here is because Gareth's birthday is this weekend. I already got his present, but last night I came up with a really fantastic idea that I know he'll love. We only have three days, but with your assistance, I know it'll be pulled off. So, what do you say? Can you help me?"

**_Reviews are encouraged! Please read and follow and spread the word! NO FLAMES! :)_ **


	30. Cover Girl and Birthday Boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With some help from Martin, Melody makes Gareth a very sexy gift for his birthday. Excited over the upcoming arrival of her little sister, Autumn Montana asks Melody when she and Gareth will have a baby.

**Hi everybody! I went to the Giants game yesterday in club seats and they lost :/ Reviews will help cheer me up though! Lol and I just finished watching the _Chicago Fire_ / _Chicago P.D_./ _Law and Order: Special Victims Unit_ crossover and OH MY GOD! Dallas Roberts, who played Milton in _TWD_ , was the villain on it, and boy was he creepy! Also, Carley is a character from the TellTale Game. I promise the next chapter will be much longer!**

**I wanna give a special shout out to my beta reader texasbelle91, as well as callmemirna, Chloe Cannon 3, Headwalkerz, Joshua the Termite, pen123, Prettyprincess45, and SilverSun09. Please check out their stories, because they are freaking awesome!**

**_WARNING: SUGGESTIVE SEXUAL CONTENT!_ **

**_Chapter Thirty: Cover Girl and Birthday Boy_ **

**_Woodbury's Studio, Thursday, 12:00 AM_ **

**_MELODY_ **

"Is everything ready yet?" I glanced over at Martin from my spot in front of the mirror.

"Yeah, just about. The only thing you need to worry about is looking hot to trot."

Rosita nodded, resting her arm on his shoulder. "He's right, Chica, and might I say that you're already looking gorgeous."

"That's because I'm the one that dolled her up, but considering how naturally pretty Melody is, it really wasn't a stretch at all." Aaron smiled as he spritzed me with Garnier hair spray.

My entourage-well, most of them- were currently M.I.A. due to prior obligations the next day. Beth and Maggie both with classes, Stefon slated to arrive at 9:00 am to primp a gaggle of socialites for a Beverly Hills luncheon, Eric training a litter of snow leopard cubs, Alisha had to open Comic Dojo, and Daryl was in New York for Howard Stern. Although, what did I expect? While this was all pretty last minute (we had been setting up for an hour and a half), I was praying that this would pay off.

My idea for Gareth was to make him a sexy photo book, along with a behind the scenes DVD of the shoot that Glenn was filming. I had always wanted to do something like this, I was the one that took the pictures of Maggie for Glenn's Christmas present last year, I had just never found the time or the motivation to do it. Except now, Gareth was my motivation, as was my hard work to kick my depression and get back into shape again. I looked pretty great and felt wonderful, I wanted to further separate myself from insecurities.

The only ones here with me were Glenn, Noah being the DJ to set the mood, Rosita to coach me in "sexitude", Aaron to do my hair and makeup, Tara for emotional support, Martin to photograph it all, and Abraham and Eugene standing vigil on either side of Woodbury's studio. I was doing four looks- lingerie on a four poster California King, Giants cheerleader wearing a baseball hat, Bumgarner jersey, black cheekies, knee high socks with white sneakers, 50's pin up with a vintage Cadillac from 1956, and the last one was me wearing Gareth's leather jacket that I had gone so crazy over.

**_He'll never be able to wear that jacket again without thinking of me._ **

"If you weren't one of my best friends and we both weren't in relationships, I'd so hit on you." Tara said, to which I smirked.

"Like that hasn't stopped you before, homeslice."

"Alright, we're ready, Melody!"

I took a deep breath before standing up. This wasn't my first time, I used to take sexy selfies alone in my room, but this was different. Tonight, I was the star.

Aaron smiled at me, incredibly proud of his work. "Good luck, honey. He's going to dolphin flip over this."

"Thanks, Aaron. You've certainly got the touch."

We exchanged air kisses before I strutted to the pearlized white backdrop, clad in pink and blue rhinestoned lingerie. My nerves had disintegrated on the drive over and just like in dance, as soon as I heard the music, I'd forget everything and focus on the performance.

Noah started the stereo, "Love Me Harder" by Ariana Grande & The Weeknd blasting. I can't stand the mousy high-pitched diva, but the song is addicting and sexy, which is what I needed.

I love the way he smiles at me, or how he's wiped my tears away when I've cried, the way he holds me when we're in the most passionate and intimate of embraces, how he makes me laugh and drives me crazy and never lets go. Gareth may be a wired a little bit oddly, but he's my guy and this was one of the most personal things I could give him. With a smile, I laid down on the bed, rolling around and looking at the camera seductively, getting into the most provocative of poses while Martin snapped away, allowing my inner sexy to shine.

**_Later that night, Gareth's House, 8:15 pm_ **

**_GARETH_ **

"OH MY GOD! WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING?! I CAN NOT UNSEE THIS! I ALSO CAN'T STOP WATCHING!" Melody shoved more popcorn into her mouth in between biting her fist.

" _HOW_ are you even watching this? No wonder they call it "The Red Wedding", it's red with bloodshed! I can't breathe, I'm gonna have an anxiety attack!" Beth put her head between her legs.

"No, no, no! NOT ROBB!" Maggie slapped her hand on her thigh. "Damn it, the hot guys always get killed off! Whose next, Daario?!"

Melody nodded as chewed. "Oh my gosh, yes! He is soo gorgeous! Those smoldering sexy eyes and that delicious grin! I am DYING for him and Danerys to hook up! He, Robb, Drogo and Jaime are the yummiest guys on the sh-AHHH!"

All three of the girls simultaneously screamed as Black Walder slit Catelyn Stark's throat on _Game of Thrones_ , killing her.

I glanced over at Glenn, Noah, Alex, and Albert, sharing a silent snicker. "Can you believe these three? They go from freaking out over some stab wounds to ogling the guys to screaming again, yet they all watch _Chicago Fire_ and _Chicago P.D._."

Noah and Glenn threw their heads back laughing.

"Chicks, man!" Albert said, chugging back a Bud Lite. "They get so mellow dramatic over a little blood!"

"I know, right?!" Alex started imitating in his girly voice "Eek! That's so scary! Ooo! Oh my gosh he's so yummy!”

"Well, to be honest, it wasn't that bad, I just wanted a reaction like the ones I've seen online. This wasn't so bad, I think Kahl Drogo burning Viserys to death with the molten gold crown was more terrifying than this. Also, you all know I COULD NOT stand Talisa, she was Robb's demise. I didn't like her for him like I don't like Andrea or Jane for Jesse on _Breaking Bad_."

"They can't all be you, Melo." Maggie said as she sipped her vanilla cherry Coca Cola, shooting her a mischievous wink.

"Good point. Besides, I already knew what was gonna happen." Melody winced as we all looked over at her, a guilty look on her face.

Beth's mouth flew open. "Melody! Why do you insist on spoilers?! Enjoy the suspense, woman!"

"I'm an anxious person, Bethy! I don't get why it bothers you so much."

"Well, shouldn't everybody have a surprise?"

I happened to glance over at Melody, seeing her eyes widen at Beth. As the Season 3 finale started, I couldn't help but wonder what was going on with my girlfriend, she had been acting a little off the past couple of days. "Hey," I elbowed her while the theme played. "you ok?"

She nodded, looking confused. "I'm fine, why do you ask?"

"You've been kind of distant the past couple days. I didn't hear from you at all yesterday after you left and today I wanted to take you to lunch but you didn't answer your phone. This isn't because you went outside your comfort zone the other night, is it?"

"What? No way!" Melody put her hand on my face. "I'm sorry, I've just been totally swamped trying to perfect everything for Thanksgiving next week and the competition, my sister is already running around headless chicken style, it's exhausting. I promise that this weekend will be relaxing and you'll have a fantastic time, alright?"

I nodded, knowing that she was probably just tired and that I had nothing to worry about. "Alright." Either way, I couldn't wait for my surprise.

**_Saturday, 1:00 pm_ **

**_MELODY_ **

"Is it ready to be frosted yet, Melody?" Autumn Montana asked, perched up on the counter top.

I nodded, evening out the layers I had just frosted and put together "Sure is, sweetheart. Wanna help me out?"

"Yeah!"

"Alright, let's do it then. What color do you want to do the outside since I did the layers?"

"Blue!"

"Blue? You got it! I'll take one side and you do the other." We giggled as I stirred the frosting. Autumn Montana had approached me on Sunday about wanting to do something special for Gareth's birthday. She had already made him a card but needed my help with something bigger, so I suggested we bake him a cake from scratch. Autumn Montana had been feeling much better, her spots were healing nicely, and she even attended dance class today. Lucky for us, Gareth had been out for the past couple hours, first having an early morning session with his personal trainer Lee Everett followed by lunch with Alex, Glenn, and Martin, so we had time. Autumn Montana was definitely a good little assistant, helping me with the ingredients and mixing everything together.

"Are you excited for your new baby brother or sister?" I asked while frosting the cake, which was devil's food layered with whipped cream, Gareth's favorite.

"Yep, sure am. Mommy says it's a girl and we're going to name her Carley. She'll be here in five more months, I'm so excited!"

"That's a nice name. I can tell you're going to be a good big sister. Little sisters get annoying sometimes, they try to wear your clothes, play in your makeup and mess with your toys, but just know that they always love you." I was such a terror when I was younger, trying on Lori's bras, listening to her phone calls with Rick, and drawing on the walls with her lipsticks. She would get angry but never for long, she adored me too much, which is why when she found out about Rick that would all be over, I would lose her forever.

"I know, I know. When are you and Daddy going to have a baby?"

Her sudden question almost made me drop my frosting knife, luckily I had finished the top of the cake and started squeezing out "Happy Birthday Daddy" with icing. Autumn Montana really was far beyond her years, it always blew me away. The topic of children had been on my mind a lot lately, but there was no way that Gareth and I should be having a child in the very near future, there was still so much I wanted to do. See the world, continue my studies, I wasn't sure if I wanted to follow the path of most of the women in my family and have a baby in my early twenties. I just hope that Gareth would wait for me.

"Well, Autumn. I don't know. I love your daddy and I love you, but it's still kind of too soon to figure all that out yet. Trust me, you'll understand when you're older."

All she did was shrug and pour pastel colored sprinkles on the cake. "Ok… but next time, maybe a little brother would be fun. Daddy is already around too many girls as it is."

"Ha, he sure is."

"Melody, babe, I'm home!"

"In the kitchen!" I looked over at Autumn Montana, silently shushing her, smiling as she tried not to giggle. When Gareth walked in, we both shouted "SURPRISE!"

"Happy birthday, Daddy!"

Gareth's shocked expression morphed into a huge grin as he walked over. "Surprise? For me? What do we have over here?"

We held up the cake so he could read it. "Autumn Montana wanted to do something special for you, so I helped her bake your favorite cake, devil's food with whipped cream."

"Awww, cupcake, you're the sweetest." He picked her up and kissed her on the cheek. "This is the best present a guy could ask for from his two favorite girls."

I smiled, this overwhelming feeling of love swelling inside me was so powerful and I never wanted it to end.

**_FIVE HOURS LATER_ **

"Melody? Are you almost ready?"

"Uh-huh!" I walked out of Gareth's bathroom, to which he whistled at me in my tight white sweetheart lined tank top, skinny jeans, and black suede Dior boots.

"Hot damn! Look at you, pretty girl. Can't we just stay in so I can strip you down?"

I rolled my eyes, stifling a laugh. "Yeah, not even close. I've got an awesome night planned out for us."

We were going to RoxFest at The Roxy, which was a private event that Noah had helped me score tickets for. Amongst the artists on the list were Alabama Shakes, Ed Sheeran, Ellie Goulding, Sam Smith, Cage the Elephant, Paramore, Matt and Kim, Arctic Monkeys, and Bastille, the latter being one of mine and Gareth's all time favorites. Afterwards we'd probably grab a bite to eat at Mel's Diner before calling it a night.

"But first, I want to give you your present before we go. Happy Birthday, hot lips." I walked over and grabbed the shimmery silver bag from my overnight duffle before sitting on the bed. Inwardly taking a deep breath, I smiled as I handed it to him. "Here, open the thinner one first."

**_GARETH_ **

"Ok." I pulled the thin package out of the bag to discover four pictures of different komodo dragons along with ownership certificates. I was in complete shock as I looked over at Melody. "What is this?!" I had to ask, even though I knew what it was.

"Well, the L.A. Zoo has been trying to expand their reptile exhibit and one of their komodo dragons had 53 babies. With a little help from Eric and lots of favors called in, you now own four komodo dragons at the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens. The blue one is a girl named Danerys, Drogon is the red one, Viserion is the orange one, and Rhaegal is the greenish yellow one. You said you always wanted a dragon, you love them so much, this was as close to the real deal as I could get. You can see them any time you want and have one hundred percent ownership over them."

My smile widened. "This is freaking awesome! Oh, my gosh! You named them after Danerys and her dragons on _GoT_! You are seriously the best girlfriend in the world." I leaned in to kiss her, but she put her hand up.

"Not yet, there's still one more thing."

"Alright, alright." I pulled out the package and unwrapped it to reveal a black photo book with a black and white photograph of Melody on the front, laying down and looking over her shoulder, the only color in the picture being the green-grey of her eyes. I opened the book, an inscription reading "To My Love" was on the front page.

I flipped through the book, checking out the pictures. The first section was of Melody in a sexy pink and blue bustier with a matching thong, rolling around on a king sized four poster bed with black sheets, looking seductive. The next set was of her in little sneakers and knee high socks wearing black boyshorts, her hair in a ponytail with a Giants baseball hat on her head, wearing the Bumgarner 35 jersey that I had bought after the Giants won the World Series. She was pretending to be a catcher in some pictures and a hitter, it was pretty cute. The third set consisted of Melody in a 1950's one piece red and white polka dotted one piece on a 1956 Cadillac, but the last set was my favorite. She was dressed only in a pair of white silk panties and my leather biker jacket, the one with the green and white stripes going down the sides.

"How did you do this?" I could not stop looking at the pictures, they were unbelievable. Her hair and makeup were flawless, she looked stunning in all of them and I was incredibly touched. I especially loved one of the pictures where she was looking off to the side and laughing, her smile radiant with her dimples popping.

"This is something I've always wanted to do, but the timing was never right. I used to take sexy pictures on my own, nothing like this, though. It's the first time I've done this kind of thing for somebody. I know that I have a lot of insecurities, but I wanted to give you something so you know that I know how much you love me and my body, just the way I am. I know that I should have just asked you about the jersey and the jacket, but I wanted this whole thing to be a total surprise, it's why I haven't been around much the past couple of days. Martin took the pictures and helped me compile the book, I edited them, Aaron did my hair and makeup, Glenn made you a behind the scenes DVD, too."

I raised an eyebrow, my eyes never leaving the book as I glanced through it again. "Martin as in my Martin? Martin Coy? Martin of Woodbury?"

"Yes, that Martin, silly. I know he's a big part of your life, which is why I called a truce. He was pretty respectful and did me a huge solid helping me with this. So, what do you think?"

I looked over to see she was a little apprehensive, did she think I would hate it? "Honey, these are excellent. You look gorgeous in all of them, I even want an 8x10 of this one so I can put it on my desk at Woodbury." I pointed to the aforementioned picture of her with my jacket.

"Are you crying?" Melody asked, wiping away my fallen tear. I hadn't even realized I was crying and became embarrassed, but nodded.

"A little, sorry. I'm just so very flattered, Melody. Nobody has ever done something so personal for me. You've grown so much, exposing more of yourself to me, and it's all I've ever wanted." I leaned in and kissed her tenderly.

By Melody making me this personalized photo book, she further proved that she was becoming more comfortable in her own skin and not shying away from her looks out of worry of what other people thought about her, that she could open up to me in every aspect imaginable.

"These are the best birthday presents ever."

"Ahh, you may think that now, but the night isn't over yet…"

**_2:45 AM_ **

"That was so much fun! Oh, my gosh, the lead singer of Alabama Shakes certainly can wail on the guitar!"

I nodded as Melody dragged me into my room. "Yeah, she's awesome."

"And Bastille, they were so freaking incredible I almost cried. His voice is sooo sexy, it invades my soul, just like Rob Thomas."

"Yeah, and you invade my soul, pussycat." I pushed her down on the bed, getting on top of her back as I kissed her ears and neck, grinding into her denim covered ass, my fingers finding themselves down the front of her panties. Melody had rented us a town car for the evening, so I had gotten a little too drunk at the show, all I knew was that I had to have my girl in my bed right now.

Melody giggled before rolling me on my back and straddling. "Wait, wait! I've got another surprise for you."

I shook my head, grabbing her hips and trying to pull her inward for a kiss. "No more surprises, baby, I need you now."

She got off the bed and went into the bathroom. "Just be patient! Sheesh, I spoil you sexually, ya know that? Take a cold shower!"

"Not unless you're in it with me!"

I watched the bathroom door close before falling back on the bed, resting my eyes. This had really been an awesome birthday. At the beginning of the year, I hadn't been too excited for twenty eight, but already it was having a pretty great start. I have an amazing family, phenomenal job, great friends, a beautiful little girl and an absolutely drop dead gorgeous girlfriend, not to mention all the bare necessities. I was so thankful and fortunate.

"Oh, Wonderboy…"

I looked over to see Melody with her hair in a ponytail, completely undressed, frosting covering her body. A pink and purple bikini was painted on her private areas, along with stars and hearts of different colors all over her stomach. She smiled over at my awestruck face.

"I told you the night wasn't over yet."

I shot her a lascivious grin as I walked over, throwing my shirt off. "It isn't, and I plan on licking every square inch of you…"


	31. Turkey Lurkey Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gareth and his family, along with The Dixons and The Grimes, spend Thanksgiving with Melody and the rest of her family. Lori and Melody spend all day preparing the massive feast. Little does Gareth know that Melody's cousin is a past fling.

**Hi everybody! As promised, here is a longer chapter! Jeff is Rick's actual brother in the comics. Walt, Jean, Danny, Brie and Tess are all from the TellTale Game. Andi is an original character I based off of Alison Janney's character in _Mom_ and named after my beta! I imagine Kirk Douglas and June Squibb as Walt and Jean, Grandma Jun-Jun is my tribute to Joan Rivers. My own mother is always saying how Mark Feuerstein is the American version of Andrew Lincoln, so I thought it would be fun to throw that in. I hope you all enjoy the surprise I threw in at the end ;).**

**I wanna give a special shout out to my beta reader texasbelle91, as well as callmemirna, Chloe Cannon 3, Headwalkerz, Joshua the Termite, pen123, Prettyprincess45, and SilverSun09. Please check out their stories, because they are freaking awesome!**

**_Chapter Thirty One: Turkey Lurkey Day_ **

**_Thursday, November 27th, 12:30 pm_ **

**_LORI_ **

"Ok, the turkeys are basted and have been in the oven for an hour, the cranberry sauce is done, you're doing the mashed potatoes and yams. Mom is bringing the pies and the sweet potato soufflé, I made the pumpkin roll, and the salad can be done last minute, the rolls just need to be popped in the oven, and- OH MY GOD! I completely forgot about the stuffing!"

I ran into the pantry, frantically looking for the stuffing mix. In a little less than three hours, there would be nineteen people coming over for Thanksgiving. This included our mom, grandma, great grandma, The Dixon Brothers, along with their sister Andi, Gareth with his moms and siblings, my in-laws, nephew and niece, not to mention that my Aunt Rachelle and her family would be dropping by for dessert later tonight. It was my year to host the dinner, (After Mom lost the house, my sister-in-law Tess and I began trading off) it was also the largest, but I couldn't say no to having Gareth and his family join us. Like Mom said, he was part of the family now, and hopefully one day it would be legitimate. Regardless, we'd be having turkey sandwiches until Passover.

Melody gently grabbed my arm and pulled me away. "Lori, you've got to relax! We've made perfect time, you really don't need the stress, especially since you're not doing all this on your own. Now, sit." She pointed to a chair by the kitchen table.

"But Melo-" I tried to speak but she shook her head and pointed again until I finally sat in the chair.

"No "but Melo", Lollipop." Melody crouched down in front of me, grabbing both my hands. "You're pregnant and do not need the stress. Everybody is going to marvel on and on saying how you did such a fabulous job, and I can vouch that you barely broke a sweat! Besides, you've got it easy with two dishwashers."

We chuckled with me finally taking a deep breath.

"Now, can we just chill out for a little, please? We have been preparing this massive meal for hours and have barely paid attention to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, which is a Thanksgiving pinnacle for us! A break is much deserved, ok?"

This was a little odd, Melody was the one telling me to relax, and she was usually one for letting it all out without having a care in the world. Alas, I knew she was right, the stress wouldn't do the baby or me any good.

"What's going on in here?"

Melody and I looked over to see our mom standing in the kitchen entryway, holding the Corning Ware that was storing her delicious sweet potato soufflé and a concerned expression on her face.

"Mommy!"

She walked over and set down the dish before embracing us. "My sweethearts, you're a mess! Have you been up all night?"

"Sort of…"

This was true. Melody and I were completely devoid of makeup, smudges of flour and nutmeg on our clothes, faces, and hair, and having been up since six in the morning, we were both exhausted despite four cans of Rockstar between us.

"Don't worry, you've worked hard enough. I want you both to take a shower and relax before having to get dressed, Andi and I will take over from here."

"Hello, little ladies."

A tall woman walked through the kitchen carrying two of our mother's pink pastry boxes. She was probably about six feet with mid length, wavy sandy brown hair and eyes, wearing jeans, a silk button up shirt, and a black leather jacket with a Cupie doll logo on it that read "Dixie Motors". Mom had mentioned that Andi had her own chain of custom chopper shops, but she already reminded me a bit of Alison Janney's character on the show _Mom_.

"Darlings', I see you've met my little sister, Andi Dixon." Merle said as he and Daryl walked in.

"Little my red white and blue ass! I can still take both of you suckers down." Putting the pies down on the counter, she had both Merle and Daryl on their knees in a headlock, giving them noogies, which Melody and I found to be hilarious.

"Mercy!" Daryl shouted as they both attempted to squirm from Andi's grasp.

"We get the point, sis!" Merle choked out, who managed to make all three of them fall to the ground.

"Fine, fine. Bunch of pansies, anyway." She let them go and brushed herself off before walking over to my mom. "Seriously, we'll take it from here, you can count on us."

"Lori, where's Tess?" Mom asked.

Tess is the former beauty queen Sandra Bullock look-alike that Rick's brother Jeff married. Now she's a homemaker… in her own home surrounded by maids, servants and butlers, the lavish lifestyle provided by Jeff, a successful cardiologist in Atlanta. At my house, all she does is sit on her skinny little ass and stay with the guys while the women do all the work, which includes my mother-in-law Jean and both my grandmas.

"That lazy bitch? She and Jeff took his parents and the kids for brunch in Malibu so we wouldn't be distracted."

"Melody!"

I raised my eyebrows at my sister in a surprised look, but I couldn't help smirking when all she did was shrug.

"What? You know I'm right. She thinks she's Scarlett O'Hara or something, too good to do anything and lets the old biddies help instead of doing it herself."

"Melody, Tess and her family have always been nice to you, you shouldn't say things like that."

"I know, but you also know I'm right, though." She turned to Merle and Daryl. "Guys, Rick and Carl are upstairs in the man cave watching football or whatever the hell guys do in there. Why don't you go join them and we'll call you when dinner's ready?"

"Ok, sounds good."

Andi smiled as soon as her brothers left the room. "We've got this, girls. Take a load off."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes! It will make me feel like the old days again. Now, shoo!" Mom playfully fanned at us.

"She's right." Melody grabbed my hands, helping me up from the chair, and still holding my hand as we walked out of the kitchen. "Come on, let's go watch the parade. I don't want to miss Idina Menzel! She's my idol!"

**_TWO HOURS LATER_ **

**_GARETH_ **

"Now, I want you all to be on your best behavior." Mom said as we walked up the Grimes' front steps. "That means you, Alex and Lizzie. No talk about zombies and vampires, ok?"

"But, Mooom! They're cool!"

Carol gave Lizzie a look. "Listen to her, Lizzie. I completely agree."

My younger brother scoffed. "Mom, how could you even single me out?"

"Uh, maybe because you keep calling my girlfriend "Tits McGee" and whining about the fact that you're not anatomically blessed."

All Alex did was roll his eyes. "That's not true, bookworm! Compared to what that idiot Sam has said, I'm harmless. You should be flattered, your girlfriend is banging! Those pictures, whew! Dude, you seriously are every man's dream."

I laughed, sometimes my brother was absurd, but it was nice to know he admires me so much. "I appreciate the praise, bro, but please don't embarrass me."

"Fine, whatever. You got it."

I opened the front door. "He-llo? It's Gareth and company."

"Hi!" Charlotte strolled out into the foyer, grinning from ear to ear. "Happy Thanksgiving!" She hugged my mom and Carol, exchanging air kisses with them. Melody and I were both over the moon that our moms were getting along so well, I could only hope that her father would like me when we went out to dinner in two weeks.

"Happy Thanksgiving, Charlotte." I kissed her on either cheek. "Where is that gorgeous girlfriend of mine?"

"In the shower or lying down, she and Lori were up since six preparing everything, so I took over as soon as I got here with Merle and his siblings. The guys are watching football upstairs if you're interested."

"That's where I'll be." Alex raced up the stairs before we could tell him otherwise.

"We'll help you out, Charlotte." Carol said, to which she shook her head.

"Nonsense! You're our guests, guests aren't supposed to do work!"

"No, no, we insist. It'll give the kids some down time, too. Come on, girls." My moms and sisters walked with Charlotte into the kitchen while I went to the family room, where I had seen the parade was on.

When I looked over the couch, I smiled when I saw Melody and Lori laying down head to head on either end of the couch, sleeping with their feet propped up.

Both of them had their hair in ponytails and were wearing matching pink and black checked pajama pants with a black long sleeved thermal shirt. Lori's read "World's Best Big Sister" in hot pink glitter writing while Melody's had the same style but said "World's Best Little Sister" instead. I could tell that a part of Melody felt dishonored wearing the shirt.

Hindsight is 20/20, both Rick and Melody were responsible for the kiss, but I know that they both learned from the mistake and wouldn't be making it again, it was all in the heat of the moment. Hopefully, Lori would see it the same way I do, but I wouldn't blame her if she didn't. Either way, I knew that one day she would forgive Melody, she loved her sister too much. Compared to how much worse it could have been, this particular situation seemed miniscule.

"Well, it worked with Snow White…"

Still smiling, I leaned over the couch to give Melody a kiss. She must have been able to sense my presence, because in a matter of seconds, her arm was wrapped around my neck, letting out a small giggle as she pulled me over the couch and on top of her.

"Hi, sweetie." Melody whispered in my ear.

"Hello, yourself."

We must have gotten a little too comfortable, because the next thing that happened was Lori groaning.

"If you two are going to make out, then you better find one of these ten rooms and not do it on top of me."

Melody opened her eyes and laughed as she glanced at her sister. "Sorry, sissy. I guess I was a little delirious, but man, was that an awesome nap."

"Right? A hot shower and I will be totally back to good."

"I second that." They sat up as Melody leaned into my ear. "Wanna take a shower with me, sexy boy?"

I looked away as my face turned bright red over the lascivious look on her face and Lori rolling her eyes. Ever since we started dating, Melody had really let her salacious side take over, and from time to time it was intimidating but hot nonetheless.

"Um, well…"

"First, you take the long way here, you know that rush hour traffic might as well be a hangover, it hurts that bad."

"Ma, the long way was only thirty minutes."

"Thirty minutes is a long time for somebody my age! We all know I'm not getting any younger!"

The three of us looked over to hear Grandma Frances and whom I assumed was the girl's great grandma Jun-Jun walking through the front door.

"Really? I couldn't tell with all the plastic surgery you've been getting!"

"Grandma Jun-Jun!" Lori and Melody squealed and ran over, simultaneously giving their great grandma a kiss on either cheek, who excitedly wrapped her arms around them.

"Ahh, my two girls! Lori, you're glowing! She's going to be such a beautiful baby!" She smiled, rubbing Lori's tummy before looking around. "Where is he? Where is the boychik I've been hearing so much about?"

I walked out into the foyer, awkwardly waving. "Uh, I think you're talking about me?" I shoved my hands in my pockets, avoiding the urge to run them through my hair.

Grandma Jun-Jun's face lit up when she saw me. Melody told us that she resembled Joan Rivers, you'd think they were twins separated at birth. Same flipped out platinum blonde hair, same raspy New York accent, and almost the same amount of plastic surgery, another eye lift or two would do the trick.

"Ah, Gareth!" She threw her hands up in the air before motioning downward as she walked over. "Scoot down, I'm not Yao Ming."

I looked over at Melody and Lori before crouching down a little, only for Grandma Jun-Jun to grab my face and lay huge kisses on both my cheeks. "Bubulah, I could kiss you all day for how happy you've made my little shana meydil! Mazel Tov, Mazel all around!"

I smiled, liking her already. "Well, she's made me just as happy, if not more."

"Oh, you're being modest, Gareth. We all know I'm the morning and evening star, that the sun rises and sets around me." Melody said as she rested her head on my shoulder, wrapping her arms around my waist.

"My Melody! Look at what a beauty you are! You're so skinny. Lori, Charlotte, are you feeding her?"

"Yes, Bubbe, we are." Charlotte said as she walked into the room, grabbing a container from Frances. "Thanks for bringing the salad, Mom."

"Your brother made it, actually. Consider yourselves lucky to have my presence today since he wasn't allowed over. It's not a Thanksgiving without the _whole_ family." Frances shot Charlotte and Lori a cold glare, the latter not taking it very well, putting her hands on her hips and shaking her head.

"Absolutely. Axel has some very deep psychological issues and is unpredictable, he's not welcome in my home."

"He's just a little anxious from being in his room all the damn time."

"Just a little anxious?! He hit Melody, and since then I've lost all respect for him. What if it was Carl he got mad at? What I don't understand is how you could condone such behavior on his end."

When Charlotte and Melody lived with Grandma Frances, Axel had lost his temper when Melody was having one of her manic episodes (which had later been the result of her accidentally taking the wrong dosage of her medication) and slapped her repeatedly on the head (the way she described it was like those toy monkeys with the cymbals on their hands) and knocked her into a wall. Lori was infuriated when she found out and ripped him a new one, Charlotte was in shock and Melody was practically terrified of him. Ever since they moved out, the three of them haven't spoken to Axel and probably never would again. I can't say I blame them.

"Ladies, ladies, that's enough! It's Thanksgiving, a time for togetherness for the people you're currently with, so let's enjoy the time we have now. I could go tomorrow, you think I want my last memory being of my daughter arguing about her son who hasn't been laid since the Reagan Administration? I don't think so, I'd rather model a G String in front of those One Direction boys! It would be a better memory than that!" Grandma Jun-Jun diverted her attention back to Melody again. "And your butt is too small! Maybe you oughta take a page from that Kim Kardushian girl."

Melody bit her lip, trying not to laugh. "It's Kardashian, Grandma Jun-Jun."

"Eh, who cares? Kardashian, Kardushian, the whole family is nothing but a bunch of fame whores. That girl's got a Zeppelin sized rear end! The world hunger crisis could end with her tuchus. Enough about that mindless bubblehead, I want to hear all about Gareth!" She linked arms with me and headed for the kitchen. "Tell me everything about you and Melody. How you met, when you fell in love, go _Gone With The Wind_ on me with the deets!"

"Ha, absolutely, m'am."

She shook her head. "No, m'am. You call me Grandma Jun-Jun like the others, ok?"

**_THREE HOURS LATER_ **

**_RICK_ **

"Alright, now that the turkey is carved and our plates are full, I'd like to make a toast before we all dig in." I stood up, tapping the side of my glass as everybody stopped talking and looked at me, holding their glasses up as well.

For us men, it had been a relaxing day, throwing back beers and watching the football game, which Gareth and Alex were somewhat upset over. Being natives from San Francisco, they were devout 49'ers fans. We had offered to help the ladies, but they refused.

This was probably the largest Thanksgiving we had ever hosted, twenty one people including both our families and Gareth's. So far, everybody seemed to be getting along, except I could tell Carl was getting a bit anxious because Sophia was practically drooling over my nephew Danny, who was a year older than Carl and almost as tall as Gareth. Ever since they were little, the boys had been just like me and my brother Jeff, very close but also very competitive. Luckily for Carl, Danny was too immersed with his girlfriend back in Georgia rather than Sophia, whose attention immediately reverted back to Carl.

"First off, thank you all so much for coming. Lori and Melody, you two were the heart and soul of this entire feast, and you really went all out. You're quite the team."

Melody smiled warmly at me and nodded. "Thank you, Rick."

"Anytime, kiddo. Especially Lori." I smiled, looking at my beautiful wife. "Lori, if I even began to describe how much I love you and Carl, we'd be here all night." Everybody laughed before I spoke again. "You two, make that three, are my whole world and I couldn't imagine a life without you. It's been a crazy year with a lot of ups and downs, but I wouldn't want to celebrate with anybody else than all of you. We don't always get to see each other as often as we'd like, but when we do, we always make it the best time was can. To family."

"To family!" Everybody clinked their glasses together.

"That was lovely, Rick." Lori squeezed my hand as I sat down, giving me a kiss.

"Well, I meant every word." I was so blessed for my wonderful family and lucrative career; I hoped things would be this good after some time had passed once the truth came to light.

We were about to eat when Melody stood up, clinking her glass. "You guys don't mind if I make a toast, do you?"

I shook my head. "Nope, not at all. Go for it."

**_MELODY_ **

Rick's speech was very moving and inspired me to toast what I was appreciative of as well.

"First off, I'm so glad everybody is here!" I glanced over at Rick's parents and brother. "Gran and Pop Grimes, you've both always been so sweet to me, I practically consider you my surrogate grandparents. Same for you, Jeff, even though I'm always saying that you look like Mark Feuerstein every chance I get."

Jeff cracked a smile. "What can I say? As far as I'm concerned, they based _Royal Pains_ around my life."

"Pfft, you wish, bro." Rick threw a roll at Jeff, who tossed it right back.

"Hey, embrace it, Rick. I'm the better looking of the sons, k? Be flattered. Mark Feuerstein looks just like that Andy Lincoln guy."

Tess poked Jeff. "Jeff, let her finish."

"Oh, right, go ahead."

"No worries." My smile broadening, I looked around the dining room again, filling with warmth over the people surrounding me. "I also can't forget all the new faces, but the one I'm especially grateful for is you, my love."

Gareth smiled up at me as I held his hand, making me blush. "As am I for you."

"And I hope to spend next Thanksgiving with you all as well." Taking a deep breath, inhaling the rest of the warm fuzzies, I knew things were about to get serious with what I was going to say next.

"This year hasn't been the easiest for me. I went through a lot of hardships that effected me in a tremendous way, almost enough to make me want to end it all, to say good-bye without waking up again. Except I knew I couldn't do it, because I've only just begun writing my life story, my chapters aren't finished and there's new ones just waiting to be explored. As the years pass, people come and go in our lives and we find ourselves growing a bit as well, too. With the right people around, they can help you grow to the sky. I'm so thankful for every single person in my life and for their belief in me to move forward, which helped me gain something. Now I know, I've been home all along." I raised my glass with a smile on my face. "To home, love and happiness."

As we all toasted and sipped, I actually believed in my words. A year ago, I wasn't in such a great place. I was living at Grams' house, sharing a bed with my mother, sneaking out at all hours of the night for meaningless hookups, secretly jealous of how well my friends were doing in comparison to my misery. Except now, I was one of them. I had a life worth living, one rich in love and goodness despite the tragedies. Sadly, I knew it wouldn't last once Lori found out about that kiss, so I had to revel with what I currently have for as long as I can.

**_GARETH_ **

"Great speech, Melody. Very touching."

She smiled at me. "Thanks. I meant every word, too. Except I know it can't last forever, my guilt is too consuming, I'm worried I'll crack sooner than expected." Melody looked down, and I knew she wanted to cry, but I couldn't let that happen.

"Hey," I grabbed her hand in an act of comfort. "Melody, we are going to get through this together. It's not going to be easy, but I'll be by your side the whole time, I promise. For now, we need to enjoy what we have, it's not worth letting it slip through our fingers."

She nodded. "Yes, you're right. I just need to try harder to push it away until the time comes to let it out."

"I know. No matter what, I'm not going anywhere, you know that."

"I do, and you know the same of me." Melody kissed me on the cheek, smiling once more. Before we could resume the conversation, we were interrupted by Grandma Jun-Jun pointing back and forth at my moms.

"What you two are doing, it's a beautiful thing, really."

"Thank you." Mom smiled, holding Carol's hand.

"Plus, now we know for sure that this one knows what he's doing under the covers." She pointed at me with something of a smirk on her face. "Am I right?"

Alex started guffawing as my face burned up, Melody couldn't even look at anybody and I could tell my moms were slightly mortified.

"What's going on?" Charlotte asked, looking over at the little commotion.

"Grandma Jun-Jun, you are such a crack up! If you were around to entertain me every time I got baked, I'd be the world's happiest stoner dude." Alex commented. They were an odd couple, my brother and Melody's great grandma, but they had been almost inseparable all evening. Perhaps it helped that Grandma Jun-Jun was one to hit the reefer…

"Alex, honey, as long as you've got the toke, I've got the jokes." Jun-Jun turned back to the rest of the table. "I just read recently about a woman with two vaginas and a man with two penises. Does that mean he has four balls, too?"

Rick's dad Walt began choking on his turkey over her speech. His wife Jean had to slap him on the back to get him to stop, but even she was shocked as well.

"What's going to happen when he's my age and they hit his knees? Poor schmuck won't be able to walk, he'll be shackling. " Grandma Jun-Jun glanced at Daryl. "Hey, Dick's On, would you ever bed a broad like that?"

Daryl smirked, although I could tell he was embarrassed. "As long as there's an entry, I'll walk on in."

**_AN HOUR LATER_ **

"Wow, that was fantastic." Merle said as Lori and Melody walked around collecting the plates.

"That's not all, Merle. Wait until you see dessert." Lori smiled as she walked out of the room. Merle was right, everything was cooked to perfection and absolutely incredible.

"Are you sure you don't need any help in there, babe?"

"No, I've got it." Melody replied.

"Besides, we're going to help." Mom and Carol stood up, following them into the kitchen. "Sophia, Lizzie, Mika, that means you, too."

"Aww, Mommy, do we have to?" Lizzie whined.

"Yes, you do."

"Alright, fine." My sisters reluctantly joined the others in the kitchen when the doorbell rang.

"Oh, it's probably Aunt Rachelle. Sophia, would you mind getting that?" Lori asked.

"Sure." Sophia rushed to the foyer, and I heard her squeal when she opened the door.

"DELILAH DALTREY-STEVERSON!"

I laughed to myself, rolling my eyes as I stood up. "Soph, for the last time-"

To my surprise, Sophia was right this time. Delilah Daltrey-Steverson was in fact standing in the Grimes' foyer. She was a true beauty and looked exactly the same as she did on TV and in the movies, except a little bit thinner.

"Hi, it's so nice to meet you. You already know who I am, and you are?" Delilah smiled, extending her hand forward.

"Sophia, Sophia Madison Peletier Mandel. I have all your movies and your book and every Led Monkey CD on my iPhone! I also have some of the items from your clothing line."

Delilah's smile broadened. "Well, I'm glad to meet such a devoted fan and sweet girl like yourself."

"DELILAH!"

"CHRISTINE!"

"RACHELLE!"

Melody, Lori, and Charlotte practically ran over, squealing and hugging The Daltreys, which was equally reciprocated. I had been so distracted by Delilah that I hadn't seen who else was with her. Rachelle, Charlotte's sister, was to her left. Rachelle was six years younger than Charlotte, they looked a lot a like with the same dark hair and light eyes, but who I didn't notice was Christine. Panic enveloped me at an alarming rate once we made eye contact, and I could tell it did for her as well. How had I not put two and two together that Christine -the last person I hooked up with to land an account for Woodbury- was my girlfriend's cousin?

**_Reviews are encouraged! Please read and follow and spread the word! NO FLAMES! :)_ **


	32. Black Friday Suite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gareth and Christine clear the air about their past hookup while he and his family get to know Delilah better; Melody and Delilah share a tender moment while Gareth and Billy bond; Gareth makes a promise to Grandma Jun-Jun while Charlotte and her daughters have a very interesting Black Friday shopping trip.

**Hi everybody! I got the majority of this chapter done last night in the E.R. waiting room. My grandma fell and cut her head open, having to be rushed there via ambulance, she got one stitch and is recuperating nicely at home. I also found out my ex-boyfriend got married... Not fun...**

**Nice cliffhanger, huh? Lol well some of the new characters that debuted in the most recent chapter of _Forever Rising Phoenix_ have made their way over to Stubborn Love. It was rather fun writing Delilah, Billy, and Christine in a modern world. Brenda, Terry, and Doug are from the TellTale game and Cailinn is from the novels. I wanna give a special shout out to my beta reader texasbelle91, as well as 6980085LMFAO, delilahmontague, Headwalkerz, Joshua the Terminian, pen123, Prettyprincess45, and SilverSun09. Please check out their stories, because they are freaking awesome!**

**_Chapter Thirty Two: Black Friday Suite_ **

**_GARETH_ **

"Gareth, this is our aunt Rachelle and cousins Christine and Delilah." Melody said as she linked her arm through mine, completely oblivious to the shock that slightly lingered on my face as well as Christine's. I forced myself to swallow it away with a smile, about to shake their hands when two more people walked in behind them.

"Hey, don't forget about us now, Lyric."

A tall man with dark hair and blue-brown eyes walked through the door, followed by a young man, probably in his early twenties, with sandy brown hair and a bird nose, holding a nine month old baby boy that had almost the same color hair as the older man along with one brown eye and one blue eye.

"Mel-Dy! Mel-Dy! Lo-eee! Lo-eee!"

I looked down to see a little boy and girl, about two years old, burst through the door and cling on to either one of Lori and Melody's legs. They both had the same greenish-blue eyes, but the little boy had dimples in his cheeks and chin alOng with straight brown hair, the little girl also had a dimple in her chin but her hair was wavy light brown and her head was about twice the size of his.

"Cuties!" Melody and Lori squealed, picking up the boy and girl, respectively, giving them lots of kisses.

"Ok, how did I get stuck bringing in all the dessert?"

Another guy walked in with four large pink dessert boxes. He was tall and muscular with ash brown hair and green-blue eyes. I recognized him right away as Billy Steverson, lead singer of famed rock band Led Monkey and Delilah's husband.

"Because you're so cute and I love you?" Delilah leaned in, run a hand through his hair and kissing him lightly.

"OH MY GOD! BILLY STEVERSON! Wow, this is the most amazing thing to ever happen in my whole existence! Here, let me." Sophia took the boxes from Billy and pranced into the kitchen, I could tell from the way she was fanning herself that she was going to hyperventilate or something. Teenage girls are such an enigma.

"Of course I wouldn't forget! This is Uncle Milo, our cousin Gordon Milo, but we all call him "GM", baby cousin Dante, brother-in-law Billy, and these little munchkins are Santino and Serena, our niece and nephew."

Billy smiled, extending his hand forward. "Hey there, you must be the boyfriend we've all heard so much about."

"Yes, that's me. Hi, everyone. Nice to meet you all." I shook their hands and exchanged hugs with a smile, even though my heart was wanting to leap out of my chest, praying that Christine wouldn't say anything.

"Lila Loo. Hey, Billy." Rick walked up and shook Billy's hand, to which Delilah smiled widely.

"Hi, Rick! I missed you so much!" She threw her arms around him in a huge hug. "I missed all of you, but I can't wait to get to know you better, Gareth. You better be treating my baby cousin right." Delilah softly punched me on the arm while Melody scoffed.

""Baby Cousin"? I'm only four years younger than you, Delilah."

"Not for long, _BABY COUSIN,_ since somebody is turning twenty one soon! You're all grown up now, kitten."

"Holy shinikey taledo cannoli! You're Delilah Daltrey!" Alex walked up and gave her a hug, which she uncomfortably reciprocated but with a smile nonetheless.

"Hi, it's so nice to meet you."

"Likewise." Alex pulled back with that stupid smirk on his face. "Wow, you're like insanely hot. Seeing you in person is totally making me salute the sargent, not to mention that I just whacked it to your poster before we left."

"AL-EX!" I slapped him across the back of the head, embarrassed by the shocked looks over what he said.

"Ow! What?" He looked over at Billy, nodding his head. "Sup, dude?"

"Uh, hi."

Charlotte cleared her throat, slightly mortified. "Come on, everybody, let's go get dessert ready! Come along!" She motioned for everybody to follow her, but Christine and I stayed back.

"Gareth."

"Christine."

She shuffled her feet, trying not to look at me. "I didn't know that the Gareth she was dating was _you._ I hadn't seen any pictures."

"I didn't know you and Delilah were her cousins, either. Christine, about what happened between us. I'm sorry if I may have come off misleading."

She shook her head. "No, not at all. You were an absolute gentleman and very clear. I'm the one that should apologize, I'm sorry if I was a bit clingy. I was going through a rough time in my life and kind of wasn't thinking straight, only about how to suppress whatever was bothering me, but I'm much better now. I've lost twenty pounds, I got a raise, I'm dating a wonderful guy. All it was was fun and nothing more, it hasn't effected business and it should continue that way."

I felt a huge sense of relief, I hadn't expected her to be so mature, especially since she seemed upset when I turned down a date.

"I'm really glad you think so, I feel the same way. You're a hard worker, Christine, you'll do well in this business. So we're cool?" I stuck my hand out, to which she shook with a smile.

"We're cool."

**_A HALF HOUR LATER_ **

"Delilah, I saw you host _SNL_ last week, it's so cool you're in the Five Timers Club now!" Sophia said, having pestered Delilah with questions since walking through the door. Luckily, Delilah handled it all with grace and politeness. We all sat around with intrigue over her, plates of pie and cake in front of us.

"I can't believe it, either, I never thought comedy was one of my strong suits, but apparently it is. Last week's episode was a blast to shoot since all the Five Timers Club alumni made a cameo, but dancing all crazy with Jon Hamm and Jim Carrey was hilarious, I'm surprised I was able to stay in character."

"Sophia, I'm sure Delilah would like to enjoy her dessert instead of being interviewed. Eat your pumpkin roll." Momrol said, pointing her fork at Sophia's plate.

Delilah shook her head. "Oh, no, Carol, it's totally fine. I like it, actually. Apart from Fallon and Letterman earlier this month, it's been a while since I've been interviewed or had any real fan interaction. Billy and I have been so swamped lately, I'm surprised that we were even able to come back here."

"How long are you staying?" Charlotte asked.

"Only until Monday, I'm flying back to New York with the twins to finish my solo album, Delilah is headed to Iceland to film _Game of Thrones_ , they should be done by mid-December." Billy replied.

It had been announced this summer at San Diego Comic Con that Delilah would be joining the cast as Arienne Martell, the heir to Dorne, a beautiful princess with political motives to the Iron Throne, Delilah even appeared on the panel. As a reader of the books, I thought this was an excellent addition, especially to boost female empowerment on the show.

Ever since winning _Dancing With The Stars_ twice and Miss Teen USA 2009, Delilah's career had skyrocketed. She has modeled in ad campaigns all over the world from Tokidoki makeup to being the current Miss Dior following Mila Kunis and Jennifer Lawrence, in addition to her own clothing line for young ladies, had recurring roles on some of the most popular television shows like _It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia_ and _Orange is the New Black,_ in addition to being box office gold from her movies grossing an almost combined $3.1 billion. She also kept up her dance career, recently choreographing the blockbuster smash _Nights in White Satin_ , which was based on the true story of a diamond heist revolving around a strip club that happened last year. Billy and Delilah were also big philanthropists and humanitarians, donating millions to Autism and AIDS research, along with spending time with special needs children. It was unreal seeing her and Melody sitting next to each other. With the exception of a couple inches and different eye color, they could have been twins.

"Oh, my god, Rick and Gareth are obsessed with that show. Totally gory and not enough sex in my opinion, not like I need to complain." Melody looked away as she started giggling.

"Ok, Melody, we get the point. Gareth, thank you for schtuping the half Shiksa goddess over here." Grandma Jun Jun gave me a thumbs up. "Sounds like you've got a real Christmas Grey on your hands, Melody."

"Grandma Jun-Jun!" Melody blushed. "It's Christian Grey, and Gareth is so much better. He's not a misogynist. Also, if you saw the guys on the show, you'd understand. Except for the first Daario was much better looking, the second one looks like a Guido greaseball. Delee, you totally should have been cast as Talisa. Not only would you have been much better in the role, but you would have been able to make out with Robb Stark!"

"I know, right? My agent mentioned it because they wanted a different look, but I was so busy with my other movies at the time. Besides, there's no competing against a Chaplin, but I hope Richard Madden is my costar one day! He's so gorgeous, those blue eyes and that jawline! We were on _Jimmy Kimmel!_ the same night, I was bright red I was blushing so hard! He's adorable, I love his Scottish accent!"

"So, Gareth, what's it like working for Woodbury?" Rachelle asked.

"Well, it was my first job out of art school, and it's really changed my life. There's times where it's challenging, but if doing what you love didn't have obstacles, it wouldn't be worth it."

Milo nodded with a smile. "That's the way to go. You've got a great attitude and head on your shoulders."

"Dad's right, you do." Gordon Milo agreed with his father as Billy nodded.

"Unlike that last moron Melody was with."

"We're going to be in Dallas for Christmas and back here for New Year's, we should do something. What do you think?" Delilah asked with a smile.

"I'm down." I was getting a very good vibe from the extended family. Lucky for me, first impressions happen to be my specialty. After all, Melody and I were still together almost three months following our first date.

**_MELODY_ **

"Melody, I don't know what you did, but you look fabulous. Not that you don't always look beautiful, but you're radiating tonight." Delilah said as we walked into the kitchen to clean up the dessert plates and utensils.

"Thanks, cuz, and right back atcha!"

Just like I had refrained from telling people I was Governor of California Phillip Blake's daughter, I also refrained from telling them I was Delilah Daltrey's cousin. It wasn't that I was ashamed, rather it would present itself as an opportunity for those with ulterior motives.

"So, how have you been doing since everything happened? I'm really sorry that I haven't been around as much. Billy and I have been swamped, we barely get a day to ourselves. It's a miracle we were able to fly out here at all, but I know it's not an excuse."

I shook my head, touched by her sweetness. "Delilah, you don't have to apologize. I totally understand career demands, and you did so much. You called and texted every day, sent me all those books and care packages, it meant a lot."

Delilah was one of the strongest people I've ever met, she's been through a lot in her life, but she used it to fuel her dreams instead of being kept down.

"I just hope you know how much we all love you and that we're here for you. We're family, no matter how crazy we may be." She pulled me in for a super tight hug. I really was grateful for the support I had from my family. At one point in my life, I had felt so alone. Even if you don't see people all the time, I believe they truly are there for you, just like Delilah and Billy.

"Of course I do. Can you believe Jun-Jun? She's been like this all night. If I didn't know any better, I'd say she wants to be a cougar."

"You can say that again. About Gareth, he is so cute and sweet! I'm serious about us double dating next month, maybe the kids can meet up, too. Where is his little girl anyway? I thought you said she was going to be here tonight."

"No, she's in Wisconsin visiting her mom's side of the family. Gareth gets her for Christmas Eve though." I missed little Autumn Montana, my sweet girl, but I wasn't too bummed because I knew I'd see her soon.

"I love how happy he makes you and I never want it to end. Whatever you two are doing, keep at it." She smiled before walking away. I hoped that we would be together as long as Delilah and Billy, we already have a passionate and deep love like their's. It was a love that would last for centuries.

**_GARETH_ **

"Billy, can I ask you something?" Billy and I were sitting with the rest of the men in the family room, watching TV. We had all broken off into our own little groups, with Billy and I engrossed in a conversation about classic cars.

"Sure, Gareth. Lay it on me."

I cleared my throat, a little nervous about how I was going to come across. It wasn't like I was asking Albert or Martin, I was asking _THE_ Billy Steverson, multi-platinum, twelve time Grammy award winning musician. "Well, I was just wondering... How do you handle it? All the attention Delilah gets, I mean. From fans and her male co-stars. Sorry if that's too personal, I didn't mean to sound rude."

Billy looked pensive for a second before relaxing. "I get why you asked, no worries. To be honest, I'm asked that a lot. Don't get me wrong, I do get jealous at times when I see her being intimate with her co-stars. It can get intimidating, but I don't let it phase me too much."

"How?"

"Well, Delilah really is one hell of an actress, the on-screen chemistry she has is so unreal, off screen it doesn't even come close to what we share. At the end of the day, Delilah is mine. Besides, she has to deal with the same thing pretty much. My fan girls tend to literally throw themselves at me and there's been plenty of rumors that I've had many an affair or orgy, a few nutcases have come forward saying I fathered their child."

"Is any of it true?" Once the words flew out of my mouth, I immediately regretted them. "I'm sorry, I-"

Billy chuckled, patting me on the back. "It's totally fine, man. You're good people, I can tell. To answer your question, it's all one hundred percent false. I would never cheat on Delilah, not even if she gave me a hall pass. She's the love of my life, the mother of my actual children, not to mention the best sex I've ever had and will ever have. Of course, communication is always key, but it's definitely true what they say, the majority of problems can be solved in the sheets. Delilah Daltrey-Steverson has got a libido that could go for days."

We shared a laugh over that, it was quite funny. "I feel the exact same way about Melody, that and she's so great with my daughter. I really do see a future with her."

"I can see that you care a lot about her, Gareth, just by the way you look at her. I'd be proud to call you my brother-in-law some day, too."

"I'd like that a lot also, Billy." I smiled, overwhelmed by how much acceptance I was receiving from this family.

With Theresa, I wasn't sure if her family liked me or was just tolerating me. With Melody, it was different, everybody was so warm and open. I wasn't judged for being working-class my whole life or that I had a child out of wedlock, they accepted me for who I was as a person, but it made me a bit nervous for what would happen when I met Melody's dad and stepmom. For some reason, I felt like he wouldn't see the confident, cool, intelligent businessman, that he'd see nothing more than some pathetic wimp who wasn't good enough for his incredible daughter.

**_9:00 PM_ **

"I'm really glad we finally met, Grandma Jun-Jun. You certainly made this Thanksgiving entertaining." I gave her a hug as we said our good-byes. The evening had gone perfectly, everybody getting along, but the bond that surprised me the most was Carol and Daryl. My second mother and the porn star with a heart of gold had been inseparable all evening, they even exchanged numbers and made plans to go on some kind of a hunting trip.

"It was a pleasure, Gareth. You're such a wonderful young man." She looked around before lowering her voice. "Thank you for making my Melody so happy. Even though Lori is pregnant, Melody's glow is just as bright. I should know, it was the same glow I had with my Terry for almost sixty years. Please promise me you'll never break her heart."

I nodded, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "I promise. You have my word that I'll never hurt her." Just saying the words made me think of how Melody would react when I told her about how Rick bribed me to take her out. Would she get that upset? Rick and Shane had been discussing promoting me for a while, and I never asked to be reimbursed for the dates, so I don't know how upset she would be. Either way, I hoped we could work it out.

"Grandma Jun-Jun, are you ready?" Lori and Melody walked down the stairs dressed as cat burglars in all black and braided pigtails with black beanies.

"Yes, dears, I am, but I don't understand why you're wearing this ridiculous get up."

Melody cracked a laughing smile. "It's so we can feel stealthy. Lori is double padded up like a football player."

"Yeah, and I'm sweating like one, too. This better be worth it."

"Girls, girls, girls! Of course it will! I haven't been Black Friday shopping in five years, I deserve a little splurge." Charlotte said as she walked up.

"Yes, that's very true, Mother."

Charlotte and her daughters were going to the midnight Black Friday sale at the Topanga Plaza mall, which had expanded over the years. With all the new and high quality stores, they really had their work cut out for them on what to buy.

"Come on, Ma. We gotta get going, I don't like driving late at night."

"Fine, fine. Sheesh, this one just complains all day on and on and on. Good bye, dolls, and remember what I said, Gareth." Jun Jun kissed the others good-bye as Melody walked over to me.

"So, is there anything special you want me to get you?"

I shook my head. "Nope, I already have everything I want with you."

"Well, I hate to break it to you, but I'm not available. I'm currently taken."

Raising an eyebrow, I tried not to smirk. "Oh really now? And who might my competition be?"

"Just this smart, kind, funny, charismatic guy who happens to be incredibly sexy. I can see why you'd think he's your competition."

"Very funny." We laughed as I pulled her in for a kiss. "I told you, I don't need anything. I have you, my daughter, my family and friends, there's really nothing more I could ask for…"

"Alright, if you say so… I guess you'll just have to be surprised."

"Ha, which I won't mind one little bit." I smiled down at her, my heart skipping a beat as we kissed again. It got a little more heated this time as Melody jumped up and wrapped her legs around my waist, sending me against the door and moaning into my mouth.

"Ok, ok, ok! We get the message loud and clear! You're young and in love, but please, I'm too young to keep being a great-great-grandma, so be sure to wrap your tool during mating season, Gareth, which in your case is probably every day if not every four hours." Grandma Jun-Jun said with a wink before walking out. Melody and I stared at each other before bursting into laughter.

**_TOPANGA PLAZA MALL, WOODLAND HILLS, 11:55 PM_ **

**_MELODY_ **

"Alright, Rick and Carl are on stand by downstairs if we need them, we've got water bottles and gum in our backpacks, we could be here for a long time, girls." Mom assured us as we stood outside the front doors of Neiman Marcus, along with the bustling crowd of what was most likely a thousand people, enveloped by the brisk cold of the November night.

I elbowed Lori with a smile. "Sure was a smart idea to have them drive, less pressure on us to find a parking space."

"Thanks. So, do we know what we're getting? I'm treating myself and Rick to new Fendi wallets."

"I have a Versace suit on reserve for Merle, he's going to look dashing in it! And of course, I'll be buying a new Louis Vuitton bag, the metallic gold one that's to die for." After the financial hell my mom and I had been through these past few years with losing everything and gaining it back, we most certainly deserved to indulge in some luxury a little bit, just like the good ol' days.

"Nice! I'm sure they'll love them. Gareth said he doesn't want anything, which makes it that much harder. I mean, what do I get for my nerd-tastic boyfriend who pretty much has everything?"

"A fleshlight?" Lori looked at me with a smirk, to which I lightly smacked her arm.

"Lo-ri!" We started laughing as we got into a playful slapping match, only for a loud foghorn to interrupt us. The three of us looked over to see a burly female security guard holding a megaphone and had on a name tag reading _Brenda._

"Alright, listen up! No funny business, we're going to play this nice and clean or I will personal escort anybody out who causes a scene! Do you hear-"

Before she could finish speaking, the doors flew open and "Russian Dance" from _The Nutcracker Suite_ began to play. For some reason, the malls thought it would be hilarious to have that song on a loop throughout Black Friday, the security guards must be getting quite a show. I started laughing so hard that I didn't realize I was getting pushed out of the line until Lori and Mom grabbed either one of my hands, pulling me forward into the store.

"Ok, double check the prices and grab everything you see! There will be plenty of time to try it on later, just grab it! We're starting from bottom to top!"

Lori and I nodded at Mom before going our separate ways. "Got it!" We raced all over the place, grabbing what we could.

**_TWO HOURS LATER_ **

In a matter of minutes, I found very sexy Herve Leger and Alice+Olivia cocktail dresses, along with pairs of Manolo Blaniks and Christian Louboutins and some new bedding. While I was at it, I ventured out into the rest of the mall and found presents for everybody else. A dive light and snorkel camera, an acrylic chess set, a lacquer backgammon set, scarves, jewelry. Even my mom and Lori found some great things and everything was going off without a hitch, except I still couldn't find anything for Gareth. I had already gotten him a Gucci belt, but I felt like I needed to get him something else. I was baffled because I usually have a knack for picking out presents.

Out of curiosity, I decided to venture into Dream World Comics. Even though I am a devout member of Comic Dojo, it wouldn't hurt just to take a look at what some other places had, right? Rifling through the comic books and manga, gazing amongst the action figures and toys, I still couldn't find anything. I was about to give up when I looked over and saw it…

I was staring at a large dark blue Tardis fridge, which was the time travel machine from _Doctor Who_. Gareth loved the show and he had been talking about getting a mini fridge for his room so he wouldn't have to go up and down the stairs to feed me sweets in post-coital bliss.

**_OH MY GOD! IT'S PERFECT! HE'S GOING TO LOVE IT!_ **

Picking up the pace, I scurried over, hoping that they would let me buy the display model since it was the only thing left. Just as my arms wrapped around the fridge, somebody's hands tried to pry it off of me! I looked over to see an uppity suburban soccer mom wearing a Juicy tracksuit and a nameplate necklace reading _Cailinn_.

"Um, excuse me, I had this first, so back off."

I scoffed in annoyance. "You did not, you're trying to pry my hands off of it. Besides, I have to get this for my boyfriend, it's perfect for him!"

"Look elsewhere, my precious Davy has to have the Tetris!"

"It's Tardis and no, I got it first, this is for Gareth!"

"IT'S MINE!"

"IT'S MINE!"

**_"IT'S MINE!"_ **

**_"IT'S MINE!"_ **

The Tardis tug of war lasted for about five minutes, starting in the back of the store and ending up in the front. Topanga Plaza had been very strict about Black Friday chaos, so the fact that nobody was coming to break us up was flummoxing. Just as it seemed like it was going to go in my favor, Cailinn stomped down on my foot really hard, hard enough for me stumble.

"Ow!"

As she ran off cackling to the cash register, my toe throbbed in pain. All I could think about was that the dance competition was next week and I hope I wasn't too injured. Who the hell wears spike heels with a tracksuit?! Maybe she wasn't a suburban soccer mom, maybe she's a prostitute and Davy is her pimp.

"Miss, are you alright?"

I looked up to see a man with sandy brown hair and a full face standing over me, extending his hand out.

"Yeah, I think I'll be alright. Thanks." I took his hand and stood up. "I can say right now I'll never be going Black Friday shopping ever again, this feels like the damn Rodney King riots or something."

"Ha, I'll probably never get the whole hype, either. Was there something in particular you were looking for?"

"I had my hands on this awesome _Doctor Who_ Tardis fridge but this crazy lady got it from me, that's how I ended up on the floor, I'm lucky I didn't get trampled. It was the perfect gift for my boyfriend, he's a huge fan, good thing I bought this Gucci belt, too."

"Well, young lady, you happen to be in luck. I can order you the fridge and have it sent from the store to your house by the 20th."

My mouth flew open in delighted shock. "Ha! No way?! Are you serious?!"

"Sure am."

"Wow! I- I'm sorry, I didn't get your name?"

"Name's Doug, I'm the owner."

"I'm Melody, and thanks so much for everything!" I gave Doug a huge hug, making him laugh.

"You're welcome, anything for a fan. Come on, let me get you the form to fill out."

As I followed Doug to the cash register, I couldn't believe at how my luck had changed in a matter of seconds, and I hoped it would carry over for the rest of December.


	33. Chapter 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Melody and the Grimes family decorate the house to compete in The Great Christmas Light Fight; Lori and Gareth share a touching moment; Melody and Gareth discuss the possibility of having a child in the future; The Hilltop Colony Dance team goes up against some heavy weights at the Hollywood Vibe competition.

**Hi everybody! My grandma only had to get one stitch, but the day after she got it taken out she suffered from a delayed concussion, so she has been in bed for the past nine days with vertigo, she's finally moving about though. Sorry for the delay, I've had crazy writer's block!**

**Bruce, Joshua, Rachel and Susie are all from the comics, Francine, Molly, Becca and A.J. are from the TV show, Clint is from the novel, and Katjaa, Duck, Kenny, Fivel and Boyd are from the TellTale game, I forgot to mention that for Annette I picture Amy Carlson from _Blue Bloods_. I wanna give a special shout out to my beta reader texasbelle91, as well as 6980085LMFAO, Chloe Cannon 3, Headwalkerz, Joshua the Terminian, pen123, Prettyprincess45, and SilverSun09. Please check out their stories, because they are freaking awesome! I also want to give a special shout out to the Weaver Family in Rhonert Park, CA, whose house was the inspiration for this chapter and they actually won _The Great Christmas Light Fight_. I'll post pic on Instagram soon!**

**_DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NOR HAVE ANY AFFILIATIONS WITH WANTED (DEAD OR ALIVE). ALL PROPERTIES OWNED BY BON JOVI, RESPECTIVELY. I ONLY OWN MY OWN ORIGINAL IDEAS AND CHARACTERS._ **

**_Chapter Thirty Three: Lights and Lights_ **

**_Monday, December 1st, 6:00 am_ **

**_RICK_ **

**_"Sometimes you tell the day_ **

**_By the bottle that you drink_ **

**_And times when you're all alone all you do is think_ **

**_I'm a cowboy, on a steel horse I ride_ **

**_I'm wanted (wanted) dead or alive_ **

**_Wanted (wanted) dead or alive."_ **

I reached over and unhooked my phone from the iHome stereo, turning off my morning alarm of "Wanted Dead or Alive" by Bon Jovi in order not to wake Lori up, but it was too late, she was already stirring awake.

"Baby? What time is it?" She asked, eyes still closed.

"It's six in the morning. Go back to sleep, sweetheart." I ran my fingers through her locks, looking down on her beautiful face.

Lori nodded, smiling in her sleep. "Ok."

"Lor-ick! Lor-ick! Lor-ick! Wakey wakey!" Melody came skipping into our room and leaped onto the bed, giggling like crazy.

"Melody, what is it? Do you have any idea what time it is?" Lori sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Yes, I do, but we gotta get up and start preparing! The film crew is coming in a few hours, we're unveiling the house in three days and it has to be nothing less than perfection!"

Every year, we go all out with decorating the house up for Christmas, just like with Halloween. Melody had entered us to be on _The Great Christmas Light Fight_ , which was a reality game show where extravagantly decorated houses compete against each other every episode and the winner received a check for fifty thousand dollars. Surprisingly enough, we were selected. This is the first time the house would be televised, so natural it was a bit nerve wracking.

"Can't it wait until a normal waking hour, like noon?"

Melody shook her head. "Nope, not even. I'm already getting everything down from the attic, Bruce and Clint from the office will be here in a while to set up, so rise and shine! This week will be a week of winning. First the show, then the dance competition! Rick, you better hook up a hose to a hydrant, because we are gonna be on fi-yah! Woo-Hoo!" She jumped off the bed, twirling out of the room.

I glanced over at Lori, both of us trying not to laugh. "It's official, she's back to her old self."

"Yes, and then some, but I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Neither would I." After the darkness she had endured, Melody more than deserved to be in the light once more. It was where she belonged.

**_TWO DAYS LATER, WEDNESDAY, 8:00pm_ **

**_GARETH_ **

"Guys, hurry up! It's about to start!" Melody shouted from the family room.

"Alright, alright. I still don't get what the point is of having ice cream by the fire." Rick said as he handed Lori her bowl of ice cream, with me following behind him. After an exhausting day at work, followed by even more work decorating the house, we were finally relaxing around the fireplace to watch the _SNL_ Christmas special. Tomorrow was the big reveal and everything had to be on point. While it took a lot of time and effort, I say that they got there, I just hope it's extravagant enough to win.

"It's because it's peppermint ice cream, I'm getting into the holiday spirit. Don't forget it's served over holiday cookie pound cake." Lori said.

"And it's pink." Melody added, taking her bowl from me as I sat down on the couch. She looked around the room with a smile on her face. "I really love it when it's the four of us, everything is so light and peaceful. You two are definitely in my top couples to double date with."

I wrapped my arm around her. "I second that, it's pretty great." We had gone on double dates with our own friends, but it was nice to be with Rick and Lori. They were very sophisticated and mature, except no matter who we were with, we always had a great time.

"Awww, well, you're our favorites, too." Lori squeezed Melody's hand with a smile before they simultaneously glanced at the TV and squealed "YES!" before high fiving. We looked to see Aidy Bryant on a street corner trying to collect money for a senior center when Justin Timberlake walked forward dressed as a giant roll of red wrapping paper, with Jimmy Fallon appearing moments later as a giant shimmering green gift bag.

"We are OBSESSED with all the "Ville" sketches that Justin Timberlake does on _SNL_ , so is Mom. The gloves and sneakers are friggin hilarious! Jimmy Fallon is in this one, we love him, too!"

Melody nodded. "Yeah, we know this one by heart. Lori is the Jimmy Fallon to my J Timber!"

"Uh, excuse me, little sister, when did you become Justin Timberlake?" Lori asked, ruffling her hair.

"I was always the Justin Timberlake, because I'm the cuter one!" Melody stuck her tongue out.

"Melo, I had no idea you were a Justin Timberlake fan."

"Yeah! He was my favorite N*SYNCer, Lori and I have seen him in concert twice, we even flew to New York when Jimmy first took over _The Tonight Show_!"

It was cute how they started rapping along with their respective comedic counterparts, throwing their hands up like actual rappers. I glanced over at Rick.

"Do they do this often?"

"More than you think."

"Bring it on down to Wrappinville! Live from New York, it's Saturday night!" The girls burst into a fit of laughter, falling all over us once the skit was finished. I'll admit, it was definitely a side of Lori I hadn't seen before, but I enjoyed it, silly yet entertaining.

**_AN HOUR LATER_ **

"Oh, my god! Schweddy Balls! I love this one!"

"It's gonna have to wait, love. I need some coffee."

"Gareth, you drink waaaayyy too much coffee." Melody said as I stood up.

"He has to, we have a pretty crazy, stressing job that requires our alert attention." Rick said.

Lori stood up, collecting the empty ice cream bowls. "That's true, but don't be so obedient, let loose a little."

"I second the motion!" Melody held her hand out. "I'm telling you, Rick works his ass off and is in dire need of a vacation."

"One of these days, Melody, one of these days." Lori said over her shoulder, following me into the kitchen.

"This Keurig is something else, huh? Although, nothing beats a great French press on a Sunday." I opened the cabinet, pulling out a large coffee cup. After dating for three months, I had finally stopped feeling like a stranger in the Grimes' house and started feeling like family, getting into a nice comfort zone and not having to ask what I could and could not do. It had pretty much become my second home.

She nodded, washing out the bowls and putting them in the dishwasher. "Trust me, that Keurig is probably one of the best investments I ever made. If only they made one on the go."

"That would be something else. You pick out the best flavors, same for creamers, too. Who would think that the combination of Almond Joy and chocolate donuts would be so good?"

"Or the Bailey's creamer. Hey, Gareth?"

I was just walking out of the kitchen but turned around when Lori called my name.

"Yes, Lori?"

She closed the dishwasher and walked up to me, her fingers laced together. "There's something that I've been wanting to tell you for a while, but never found the right time or moment, except for I think it's now."

"Ok, sure. Say what's on your mind." Even though we had gotten to know each other, Lori and I never were alone like this before, so I couldn't help but wonder what she was about to tell me. I hoped to God she wasn't coming on to me… Ha, just kidding. Not a chance in hell, she only has eyes for Rick.

**_LORI_ **

"When I first suggested to Rick that he approach you about taking Melody out, I really didn't know what was going to happen, all I knew is that she needed a change and I just hoped it wouldn't be a total disaster that would blow up in our faces. Honestly, that girl is so damn stubborn sometimes that she doesn't always realize what's right in front of her. With you, she did. It may have taken a while, but she did, and now I can't imagine what her life would be like without you in it."

Gareth nodded, seemingly relaxed as I poured my heart out to him. "I feel the exact same way, my life wouldn't be the same without your sister in it."

"There were days it seemed like she was touch and go. Even though I was preoccupied with the PTA and school ending, I was pretty on top of Melody, but I hated to leave her alone. She's always been a strong girl, but all that changed when she met you." I smiled, my eyes filled with tears. "Sorry, it's these damn pregnancy hormones."

"Oh, it's fine. I know what it's like. Yes, Melody is strong, but I don't know what I have to do with it."

I couldn't hold back anymore, laughing as my tears fell. "You saved her life, Gareth. You showed Melody what true love is and taught her how to believe again, and for that I am so grateful to you." I wrapped my arms around him in a tight hug, my tears of happiness still falling. During that dark time, I was really worried that Melody would truly slip away, but I always shrugged off those feelings because I knew she wouldn't let life get away from her like that.

Gareth stiffened at first, but then hugged me back. "She did the same for me also, Lori. I was a broken man when we met, I just did a pretty good job at hiding it from the rest of the world, and Melody resurrected me from the dead. I guess it's true what they say, love heals. Not only did I get her, I also gained a whole second family in all of you, too."

"Absolutely." Even though these were my pregnancy hormones, regardless of the rapidly approaching holiday and dance competition stress, I really was happy. Things right now were as close to perfect as it could get.

**_Thursday, December 4th, 6:50 pm_ **

"Places, everybody!" Boyd the producer shouted as the camera crew finished setting up. Everybody was standing around the front of the house, waiting for our unveiling ceremony to commence. Me, Rick, Carl, Melody, Gareth, Autumn Montana, his moms and siblings, Mom, Grams, Merle, Daryl, Aunt Rachelle and the boys, our friends and most of the associates from Woodbury, not to mention about 200 or so of our neighbors. With this level of excitement, we would definitely be giving Superbowl Sunday a run for its money.

"Are you excited, Autumn Montana?" I asked the little girl as I fixed her hat from where she was in Melody's arms. It was exceptionally chilly tonight, so we were all bundled up in our winter hats, mittens, scarves and coats.

"Sure am, Auntie Lori! I can't wait to see Santa Claus and tell him what I want for Hannukahmas!" She really was such a darling child who took a liking to me right away, it was kind of like Melody and I had a practice daughter aside from Serena.

Gareth stifled a snicker. "It's Christmakkuah, lemonpop."

Everything looked perfect. In three days, the 7500 square foot mansion had been transformed into a 58 foot replica of Sleeping Beauty's castle adorned with over 470,000 vibrantly colorful lights, life-size cut outs of every Disney and popular cartoon character imaginable were meticulously hand drawn and positioned in every corner, from Oswald to South Park and Elsa and Anna. The front porch was serving as Santa's Village, decorated with real snow on the ground, giant candy canes everywhere crisscrossed over a plush red and gold throne, dripping icicle lights hung above along with ornaments in traditional Christmas colors. Hershel would be playing the role of Santa Claus, just like every year, with Annette as Mrs. Claus and the photographer, Maggie, Beth and two midgets were hired as Santa's helpers.

As we all stood in front of the house while the host Michael Moloney did the introductions, I could feel myself starting to fret. What if we didn't win, especially after going all out, more so than any other year?

"Lori." Rick grabbed my hand, looking into my eyes. "Relax."

"How did you-"

He raised an eyebrow at me, along with an "are you serious?" look. "We've been together for how long? I know you almost better than I know myself."

I smiled, feeling my heart melt. For a while, it seemed like Rick and I were growing apart, but things had really changed for us in the past few months. Perhaps my sister's new love was an inspiration to revive old love. "You're right, and I feel the same about you."

"Grimes, it's all on you, go!" Boyd shouted, pointing at Rick and me. Rick cleared his throat, stepping forward.

"First off, I want to thank everybody for coming out, all our family, friends, and neighbors. People that have never missed a lighting ceremony of ours, but this year's really is the most important. Even if we don't win _The Great Christmas Light Fight_ , we still had a lot of fun putting this all together."

I nodded, speaking up next after everybody clapped. "That's right, and as each year passes, I can't help but go bigger and bigger. The person I really have to thank the most besides my wonderful husband and son is the lovely young lady standing besides me." I grabbed Melody's hand, looking at her with a smile. "Melody, my baby sister, I don't know if I'd even have the moxie to actually enter this if it hadn't been for you. It hasn't been an easy year, but I felt like our bond has grown stronger."

She smiled, gripping my hand. "I feel the exact same way, big sissy."

"After a lot of discussion, Rick and I decided that we dedicate this to you and Gareth, because we love you both so much and I hope you enjoy the little surprise we have in store. Ok, time to countdown and plug it in!"

While Melody had been a big part of the planning process, I had a few tricks up my sleeve. Rick handed me the plug and the outlet to Melody, both of us giggling as everybody started counting down. By the end, Melody and I could not contain the laughter.

"5! 4! 3! 2! 1!"

The moment the outlet and plug were joined was when everything went off. Explosions of color splashed all over the house, snow falling from the snow machines, and the theme from _Star Wars_ played simultaneously with a compilation of scenes from the movies was shown on a mist screen. Gareth and Melody laughed amongst the sea of "Ooos", "Aahs", and "Wows!".

"No way! This is awesome!"

We watched as the music and clips went into the scene where Obi Wan and Anakin Skywalker have their epic battle from _Revenge of the Sith_ before the lights changed to blue and Elsa appeared on the screen, singing the first chorus of "Let It Go". Melody and Autumn Montana both squealed, along with a bunch of other kids cheering "Elsa! Elsa!". My sister turned to me with a smile as it got to the climax of the song with Elsa transforming into The Snow Queen.

"Lori, this is truly incredible! I couldn't ask for a better big sister."

We embraced tightly, there was so much love surrounding us, even more so with the holiday spirit. "And I couldn't ask for a better little sister, either."

**_MELODY_ **

"Did you like the display, Autumn Montana?" I asked as we waited in line to see Santa. The hard work that Lori and I put in really paid off, because we ended up winning the $50,000. The money was nice, it was more the title than anything, but we had fun doing, not to mention the _Star Wars_ and _Frozen_ bits were a total surprise.

"Yes, I did! It was so bright and pretty! I wanna come back every night!"

"You're up next, guys." Maggie said with a smile as the previous child walked off after getting their picture taken with Santa and a candy cane from Beth. The sisters looked so cute in their red and green modernized elf outfits alongside the actual dwarves.

"Yay! Thanks, Auntie Maggie!" Autumn Montana jumped out of my arms and took Violet's leash from Gareth before marching over to Hershel, hopping up on his lap.

"Ho! Ho! Ho! Well, hello there, little girl, and what might your name be?" I couldn't help getting a kick out of Hershel being Santa Claus, even though he perfectly fit the profile with the white hair, beard, and jolly demeanor.

"Hiya, Santa! I'm Autumn Montana and this is Violet!" The little piglet tried her best to hop up but couldn't, I think the sparkle winter sweater and rhinestoned beanie were hindering, Beth finally had to walk over and put her in Autumn Montana's lap.

"Have you been a good girl this year, Autumn Montana?"

She nodded with a big smile. "Yep, I sure have. I make my bed and clean my room without Mommy and Daddy asking me, I help Bubbe and Nana, too, and I always clean up after Violet."

"That most certainly is a very good girl, and what do you want for Christmas this year?"

"Presents!" Autumn Montana raised her arms up, this time giggling, which made us all smile.

"Ha ha, I'm sure you'll be getting lots of those. Have a Merry Christmas, Autumn Montana. Keep being a good girl now."

"Thanks, Santa!"

"Melody, Gareth, get in the picture." Annette, dressed as Mrs. Claus, nodded her head over at me. Once we were situated on either side of Santa's throne, she took the picture. "It's a cute one!"

"I bet." Gareth elbowed Hershel. "You're totally killing this, Hershel. Thanks a lot."

"Hey, I've been told I was born to play St. Nick, so I consider myself honored. Plus, I get all the cookies I want."

"Not too many now, Daddy. I want you slimmed out to walk me down the aisle." Maggie said with a smile.

"There's always time for diets after the holidays."

"Here you go, chickadee." Beth walked up, bending down to give Autumn Montana a candy cane as we got our picture.

"Thank you, Auntie Beth!" Autumn Montana ran off with Violet towards Carl and Sophia.

"She's such a little cutie pie, you know that?"

Gareth nodded, grabbing my hand as we walked around the front yard, admiring the decorations. "Yes, I do. I like to think she gets it from me. Since I'm so irresistible."

"Ha, ok, goof. You know, she asked when we were going to have a baby."

He suddenly stopped, raising his eyebrow with a smirk. "What? She did? When?"

"When we were frosting your birthday cake."

"And what did you tell her?"

"I told her that I love you both, but I don't know when it will be happening."

"Kids at that age are so curious. I'm not going to lie, I've given it some thought." He turned me around and wrapped his arms around my stomach, pulling me in close and nuzzling my neck. "You would look so beautiful with a baby bump."

I couldn't help but snicker over that comment. "Hey, I just lost the weight from those stupid anti-depressants, I'm really not in a hurry to put it back on anytime soon."

"Point taken, but are you saying this is something you definitely want?"

I could see the hope in his eyes when I turned around to face him, which made me blush. "Of course I do, I just don't know when. I do know that our baby will be a total sweet pea. Autumn Montana said a little brother would be fun since you're surrounded by too many girls."

"Well, hopefully we can give her one. I'd like a son."

"He'll have your eyes and my hair, maybe be a hockey player with a dance background?" I smiled, feeling the butterflies flapping over this conversation.

"He'd drive us crazy playing the drums and want to be a race-car driver, I can see him being a wild child." Gareth took both my hands in his. "Melody, I can wait as long as you want to, but it's also something I want with you, there's nothing that would make me happier. You'd be such a terrific mom for Sweet Pea."

"I appreciate it. Hey, look. We're under the mistletoe." We both glanced up to see the famous Christmas garland hanging from the house columns.

"Yes, we are." Gareth scratched the back of his head, looking all around, which was when I noticed his face was red.

"Why are you so embarrassed? We've kissed in public lots of times, not to mention I've had you naked in both our beds, so what's with the red cheeks?"

"Well," He cleared his throat nervously. "I don't have the best experience when it comes to mistletoe. Freshman winter formal, I took my crush Dee Clarke underneath the mistletoe and she punched me in the face. I had a black eye for a week."

"Awww, really? Well, I think it's been long enough that you wipe the slate clean and make some new memories." Without another word, I grabbed Gareth by the jacket and smashed our lips together, giving him a very zealous kiss that certainly knocked him off his socks. Yes, there were lots of children around, but it was the furthest thing from my mind. For the first time in my life, I was in love. It truly is the greatest feeling in the world, and sometimes you can't help but show off by kissing your man for them all to see.

**_Saturday, December 6th, The Marriott Hotel, Petaluma, 9:45 am_ **

"Where's the pink eye shadow?!"

"Lori, I need extra hairspray!"

"Damn it! These curls will not curl how I want them to!"

"Do you think that's too red of lipstick, Melody?" Carol asked, looking over my shoulder as I did Sophia's makeup. The whole Hilltop Colony dance team and dance moms were crowded in one of the conference-turned-dressing rooms, frantically running around to get ready for the Hollywood Vibe competition, which was featuring at least twelve hundred numbers, including our four numbers. The junior team consisted of Carl, Enid, twins Rachel and Susie, Katjaa's son Kenny Jr. aka "Duck", Abraham's daughter Becca, Molly, and now Sophia, while the other team consisted of Joshua, Fivel, and Abraham's son A.J., who joined the senior company last year in retaliation against his parent's divorce, but he turned out to be just as talented of a dancer as his sister.

"No, not at all. That and the smokiness of her eyes, it'll pop onstage, contrasting perfectly with her outfit." Sophia's costume consisted of a one long sleeved/one strap sleeved leotard adorned in black sequins and red fringe beads, complete with a matching headpiece. It was a little out of her comfort zone, but I knew she could pull it off, we had been working on this routine for a straight month.

"She never wore this much makeup in gymnastics. What do you think Sophia?"

"Mom, I think you need to relax! I've got this, I'm gonna rock it out on the stage and I plan on giving that Maddie Ziegler a run for her money."

"Don't let that be your focus, Soph." Gareth said, looking up from his spot on the floor with Autumn Montana sleeping soundly in his lap. "It's all about nailing your routine and having fun doing it."

Lori nodded, rifling through one of the makeup cases. "That's right, and that goes for all of you. If you see anybody from Abby or Cathy's group, I want you to be polite, ok? I know we won't have a problem, this group is pretty well behaved."

"Lori! Lori!" Duck burst through the door of the dressing room, still in his Marvel pajamas. "I overheard that Maddie is dancing to "Everybody Loves Me"!" He said with a Valley Boy lisp.

Katjaa scoffed before handing him his costume. "That has Abby written all over it. I can only imagine what else they have in store." Katjaa had been a failed dancer back in the day before deciding that those who can't really do teach. Now, having no daughters, she had become a subtle stage mom to Duck, pouring everything into his dance career, which was upsetting to his hunter-loving father Kenny, preferring sparkles to camo. Even though he's only four years younger than Carl, they were almost always head to head when it came to competition. I was actually convinced that Duck was gay and didn't know it, I can tell by the way he acts and composes himself.

"Papa! You're doing it all wrong! My head hurts!" Becca whined in pain, trying to fix the braids that Abraham was attempting to make. The kids were tired, having been up since seven thirty this morning and the competition would be running until about five at night. It was going to be a long wait in between numbers, except I knew they would be able to handle it.

"I'm doing the best I can, Becca." Abraham was our first dance dad, which impressed the other moms. While he was completely clueless, he put forth such effort, which I thought was awesome.

"You're doing it all wrong."

"I can fix it for you, honey. I'm usually all thumbs, but braids I can do." Francine said as she set more cans of hairspray down before walking over, giving Abraham a curious look. "I'm sorry, I don't think we've met before. You're Becca and A.J.'s dad?"

"Yep, sure am."

I glanced over from doing Sophia's hair. "Francine, this is Abraham Ford, he's one of my body guards and newly appointed Hilltop dance dad. Abraham, this is Francine Nacon, she's Enid's mom."

Abraham smiled, extending his hand forward. "Nice to meet you, Francine. I can see that your daughter gets her beauty from you."

Francine tried to play it cool, but I could tell she was flattered. "Why thank you, and I see A.J. gets his handsomeness from you." Francine was tall and muscular with brown hair in a pixie cut and brown eyes. A former fitness model and wrestler, she was running her late husband's construction company after he passed away a year ago at an on-site accident. I figured there was definitely a spark between the two and who knows what could happen?

"Melody, love, how are you doing?" Gareth asked, having handed Autumn Montana off to Mary and was now standing behind me.

"Honestly? I'm more concerned about the kids than my number."

"Understandable. It's also understandable if you're nervous."

"I mean, maybe a little because it's been so long, but once my foot hits the stage, it all goes away. It's always been like that for me."

Gareth smiled. "I know you'll pull it off, beautiful. You're a star."

To be honest, I was a tad paranoid that I'd screw something up, but it wasn't possible. Not only had I been working on the routine prior to Tammy's injury, we rehearsed until almost midnight the night before. Either way, having Gareth's unconditional love and support set me at ease. I was more than capable and fully ready to perform my heart out, just like old times.

**_Marriott Hotel Ballroom, 2:50 pm_ **

**_GARETH_ **

"Thank you, Number 237, Millennial Dance. Please welcome to the stage, "I'll Come Back To Haunt You", Number 238, Hilltop Colony Dance Company!"

We all started cheering as Melody walked out on the stage first, wearing a gorgeous all white spaghetti strap dress, the sparkles dancing in the spotlights. So far, the competition had been a breeze.

With the exception of the emcee announcing "Shake It Off", which was the wrong title and later corrected himself at the end, Sophia's acro/jazz solo to "Shake It Out" by Florence and The Machine went off without a hitch. Melody was right, the makeup contrasted perfectly with the costume. It had been so long since my sister competed, I was very impressed and proud of how she had developed as a dancer, my moms were both in tears. The anticipated Maddie Ziegler's jazz routine to "Everybody Loves Me" by One Republic was also very good and her multicolored paint splattered leotard stood out, but I'm Team Sophia all the way.

The lyrical trio-which was Sophia with Carl and Enid- was also executed flawlessly with "A Heart Full of Love" from the motion picture soundtrack of _Les Miserables_. Carl's chemistry with the flower maiden Sophia as Cosette and the ragamuffin Enid as Eponine was undeniable, it really set the believability of the dance. Meanwhile, Candy Apples had a duet to "You've Got Time", the theme song from _Orange is the New Black_ , complete with orange and khaki prison jumpsuits. Melody and I couldn't help but crack up over this, since it was completely ridiculous and kind of a hot mess.

Unfortunately, Abby Lee's group ended up going before Hilltop, performing a contemporary number to the _Breaking Bad_ theme score, dressed in hazmat jumpsuits and used large boxes with the periodic elements on them as props, which Melody informed me was a rip-off of the same routine _Dancing With The Stars_ alum Derek Hough had choreographed for the 2014 Primetime Emmys. Meanwhile, the kids' modern/hip-hop routine to "Top of the World" by Greek Fire, with the intro from Fallout Boy's "My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light 'Em Up)", was a blast to watch. They were all dressed in brightly colored costumes, just like in the comic and movie, with a big cutout of Baymax on stage, finishing the routine in a human "6". The snide comments and glares from the other dance teams were properly ignored, it was all about the kids. I was pretty sure that Hilltop would be shoo-ins to win, but the one I had anticipated the most was Melody's.

She looked stunning, confidence fully evident in her strut before posing, tucking on leg behind her, one arm up in the arm and one arm down, staring up at her hand. I couldn't tell if she was nervous as the hypnotic drones and drumbeats of "Haunt" by Bastille began to play, Melody spinning as the lyrics started going into the rest of the contemporary/lyrical routine. Right before the chorus began, A.J., Fivel, and Joshua all entered, wearing white pants and their capezios. I'll admit that at first I was a little jealous that these three teenage boys with their strong young bodies would be touching my girlfriend in such an intimate matter, they probably were drooling over her. Except I remembered what Billy said about Delilah and chemistry, which definitely put me at ease.

They certainly told a story with the fluidity of their movements, the boys being Melody's former lovers, haunting her with memories of the past, what is currently present, and what the future may bring, sort of like _A Christmas Carol_. Every single turn, spin, and jump was nailed, perfectly in sync with the music and not missing a beat. Neat the end of the song, Melody was downstage as she slowly rolled her head back, just like in _The Little Mermaid_ when Ursula took Ariel's voice, before A.J. picked her up on his shoulder, with Joshua and Fivel grabbed either one of her hands as the song ended.

The audience, although spellbound, erupted into thunderous applause. I stood up along with the rest of the group, Lori and I cheering the loudest, both of us had happy tears in our eyes.

"Thank you Number 238, Hilltop Colony Dance Company!"

Once the next number walked out, I made my way backstage, carrying the flowers I had bought earlier. Melody was already undoing her hair while the boys toweled off. When she looked up and saw my reflection in the mirror, she smiled warmly at me.

"How'd I do?"

My first response was to wrap her up and spin her around, making her laugh before I set her down. "Babe! That was incredible, wow! I was in awe, everybody was. You were amazing."

"Yeah, nobody noticed I missed an a la' turn. Did Lori say anything?"

"Nope, you left us captivated. Melody, I'm so proud of you and you should be, too. You were the heart and soul of that dance. Come on, I know you think it didn't suck."

She smirked. "Ok, fine, I'll admit it: That was awesome! I felt like a true professional, I hope we win!"

"I think you will. Here, these are for you." I handed her the flowers, astromerias and daffodils, which were Melody's favorites, along with a Minnie Mouse stuffed animal.

"These are so sweet, thank you." Without any warning, Melody jumped into my arms and kissed me roughly. This time, there wasn't a wall to support me, so I ended up falling on the ground, causing the other people to whisper and stare.

"Whoa there, crazy girl. Somebody is excited, huh?"

She nodded. "Sorry, I couldn't help it, you're just freaking adorable and make me so happy. Come on, let's go join the others." Melody stood up and helped me to my feet. It was obvious to pretty much everybody how deep our love was, but what would her father think? I'd be finding out in five days time.

**_Reviews are encouraged! Please read and follow and spread the word! NO FLAMES! :)_ **


	34. Daddy's Little Misfit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Melody finally introduces Gareth to her father, California Governor Phillip Blake, and his third wife, Lilly. The dinner turns out to be a tense affair when the young couple is harshly judged, but love prevails and reigns over. In her breakdown, Gareth makes an everlasting promise to Melody.

**Hi everybody! THE GOVERNOR IS FINALLY HERE!**

**Rudy is from the comics and I forgot to mention that Davy and Dee from previous chapters are also from _TWD_ universe. I would have updated sooner but I've been sick. I wanna give a special shout out to my beta reader texasbelle91, as well as 6980085LMFAO, Chloe Cannon 3, Headwalkerz, Joshua the Terminian, pen123, Prettyprincess45, and SilverSun09. Please check out their stories, because they are freaking awesome! Please follow my new Instagram rocknrollprincess131fanfiction!**

**_Chapter Thirty Four: Daddy's Little Misfit_ **

**_Mr. Chow's, The Grove, Hollywood, Thursday, December 11th, 7:40 pm._ **

**_GARETH_ **

"Alright, your hair is in place, no wrinkles in your suit. Let me just fix your tie." Melody straightened out my tie for what was probably the umpteenth time since I picked her up. She looked gorgeous but was a complete wreck and could not sit still, you'd think we were going to meet Obama or something.

We were at the swanky Mr. Chow's, which was Melody's favorite Chinese restaurant. As we got to the front door, I put my hands on her shoulders and stopped her so our eyes could meet. "Melody, relax. I'm fine, you look great, everything is going to work out."

"I know, it's just that with the exception of Ben, you're the third boyfriend my father has ever met. He didn't think too highly of Randall. What if he doesn't like you? That would upset me."

The thought had crossed my mind, but I didn't want to upset her further. I was going into this with confidence instead of a chip on my shoulder, I had to. Not trying to brag, but what isn't there to like?

"Only time will tell, because he's not the one I'm dating, he's not the one I'm in love with, and he most certainly is not the one I'm going to strip naked and do naughty things when we get home."

She bit her lip over that last sentence and smiled, which helped me relax a little.

"I know, I know. If he doesn't like you, it further proves my point that he's a prick. All you need to know is that I love you, my mom and her side of the family adore you, and if he doesn't, it's his issue." Melody gave me a quick peck on the lips before grabbing my hand and leading the way inside. I could tell she was still nervous, but when she saw her dad in a booth at the top of the stairs after we checked our coats, her demeanor changed as he stood up to greet her.

"Hi, Daddy!"

"Hi, pumpkin."

Melody let go of my hand and gave him a big hug. The Governor appeared happy to see his oldest daughter, exchanging a kiss with a big smile on his face. I could tell that it had been a while since they had seen each other, because they were hugging for such a long time. Perhaps the time apart will prove to have had done some good. A woman sitting next to him in the booth with shoulder length dark hair, minimalistic makeup, and a green wraparound dress stood up and extended her hand out to me.

"Hi, I'm Lilly Caul-Blake. It's nice to meet you."

"Hi, you too." I smiled, shaking her hand.

Phillip and Melody separated from the hug, looking over at us.

"Oh, sorry. Daddy, Lilly," She giggled as she grabbed my hand and smiled up at me. "I'd like you to meet somebody very special to me. This is my boyfriend, Gareth Mandel."

The Governor stuck his hand out with a smile on his face that seemed sincere enough. "Gareth, we finally meet." Even though I thought Melody looked a lot like Charlotte, I could also see where she looked like her father around the eyes and smile.

"It's an honor, sir."

"Please, call me Phillip, but I appreciate the manners."

As we sat down, Melody's smile disappeared. "This table is only for four, shouldn't it be for six? Dad, where are the girls?"

"They're with Eliza and Louis."

"Why? You knew I wanted to see them. I haven't seen them all year!"

"They were busy. You'll see them for Christmas Eve, if you decide to show up this year."

"But, Daddy-"

"Melody." Phillip gave her a stern look, which made her heavily sigh as well as stop talking, but I could tell that she hadn't wanted to drop the topic so abruptly.

Lilly cleared her throat. "We just really wanted to meet Gareth and figured it would be less overwhelming this way. It would be boring for them with only adults."

"I see the point. Besides, sweetheart, they probably won't understand what's going on when your dad starts to drill me. Am I right, Governator?" I chuckled, wrapping my arm around Melody, snapping my fingers and pointing at him with my free hand. My attempt at humor turned to embarrassment when all I got in return from Phillip and Lilly were blank, unamused stares.

"So, Gareth, why don't you tell me a little bit about yourself? It's important that I know everything there is about the young man romancing my little girl."

Lilly elbowed him with a smirk. "Phillip, she's not so little anymore."

"In a few hours, I'll be 21!"

"Ah, how could I forget? Rudy!" He snapped his fingers, raising his hand up and motioning the waiter over before turning back to Melody. "What are you drinking, hun?"

"Uh, are you sure? I don't think they'll serve me yet."

"Oh, Melody, there you go again with the fear and excuses. I'm California Governor, they'll make an exception. Now, what are you drinking?"

With a heavy sigh, she shook off the dread. "Cosmopolitan. I finally know what it feels like to be Carrie Bradshaw!" Melody giggled, which made me smile, but Phillip was once again unamused.

"No, it's too strong. She'll have a green apple martini, I'll have a bitters and tonics. What about you, Lilly, Gareth?"

"Chateau Margaux, please."

I suddenly felt pressured on what to order. "Uh, I'll just have an iced tea, thanks. I don't like to drink when I drive."

Phillip nodded. "Responsible, I like that. That's ok, son, order a cold one. By the time we leave, it will be out of your system." He smiled, which eased the tension some.

"Alright. I'll have a Stella Artois."

After we gave our food orders, it was back to the interrogation. "So, Gareth, you were saying?"

"Well, I'm originally from San Francisco, graduated from Academy of Art last year and started working for Woodbury not too long after that."

He nodded, sipping his bitters and tonics. "Ahh, yes. Rick has told me all about your triumphs in the business. I must say, they're quite impressive. Even we couldn't get Disney and I have twice the experience as you do."

"Thanks, I like to think my success is attributed from more than luck and moxie, though. Rick really is a fantastic mentor. You left Woodbury in excellent hands, sir."

"Such an accomplished young man like yourself probably has women left and right throwing themselves at you. I'm curious, what is it that you want with my daughter? If you're trying to take over Woodbury, you're barking up the wrong tree. With your drive and charm, I bet you'll be running the place when Rick and Shane retire. Melody has zero ownership. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink. She'd probably drive it into the ground."

I happened to know that this wasn't true. It had slipped out in conversation one day that if anything were to ever happen to either Rick or Shane that Melody would take over Woodbury and later on bring Carl in when he was an adult.

"Well, Melody's very intelligent and creative, "running it into the ground" might be exaggerating a little. Have you seen her makeup work or read her stories? With all due respect, sir, at twenty years old I think she's perfectly capable of figuring out what she wants."

"Phillip or Governor, _I insist_. I haven't seen her work, but I've known my daughter for twenty-one years. I've only known you for twenty one minutes, so I really have no idea what you're all about."

"I can tell you with the utmost confidence that you have nothing to worry about with me." I grabbed Melody's hand and smiled before facing Phillip again, my heart pounding what felt like a hundred beats per second. "I love your daughter dearly, she'd never want for anything with me. I'm going to marry her someday."

"See, that's the problem right there, Gareth. You want to take care of her, give her a happily ever after fairytale ending, but that's not how the real world works, son. Melody can't stand on her own two feet, she doesn't know how to take care of herself. She's always looking for an easy way out and thinks she can get by on nepotism, she wouldn't know the definition of a hard day's work if it knocked her on her ass."

**_MELODY_ **

"You'll have to excuse my father, he lives by the Gordon Gekko policy of "Greed is good"." I nervously laughed, shooting my dad a glare. This was a terrible idea, WHY had I agreed to this?! As per usual, he was being a condescending asshole and I was mortified.

"I do understand what it's like, Phillip. I have a daughter myself."

The minute the words came out of Gareth's mouth I wanted to cringe. In all my fretting, I had never discussed with him NOT to bring up Autumn Montana, but shouldn't he have known better already?

My dad and Lilly looked at each other before he shot Gareth a bemused smirk.

"You have a daughter?" She asked.

He nodded. "Yes, I do. Her name is Autumn Montana and she's three years old. When she starts dating in what I hope is after college, I'll probably be interrogating her suitors just like you are with me, but in a more subtle way."

"She's absolutely adorable, Daddy. Autumn Montana is a very sweet and smart little girl, I love her just as much as I love Gareth."

"Melody, you are nowhere near ready to be a mother, stepmother, any kind of mother. Not right now. You couldn't even make an engagement last longer than six months."

"Has it occurred to you that it takes two to tango? Our breakup was totally mutual. I am sick of you blaming me for this." Ever since Ben and I called off our engagement, you'd think that I started DEFCON 1 or something, he was that infuriated with me. As far as Allan and Donna went, I have no idea because I haven't spoken to them in quite some time.

"That's not what Donna said. She said that you broke the poor boy's heart."

"She's a liar. Did she tell you how Ben couldn't get it up? Maybe she didn't, I wouldn't be bragging about my son's premature ejaculation problem, either. Sheesh, all the Viagra, Cialis and naked chicks in the world couldn't get him hard. Maybe he's gay."

"Melody Jasmine! How could you say such a thing?"

I stifled a laugh, knowing I probably shouldn't have gone this route, but I didn't care and I was becoming agitated. "I'm sorry, it's the truth, and you're the reason to blame for a lot of my issues."

Dad threw his hand up in disgust, a sarcastic smile on his face. "There you go again, blaming everybody else and not taking any responsibility."

"And there you go again being in denial. Our relationship is one of the most tumultuous I've ever had. Don't you think I'd be a lot happier had you not left me and Mom or if you were a little more accepting? Do you think I'm happy that I barely get to see my little sisters? For twelve years you had your brand new family and completely left me out! I guess I just really want to know why I wasn't good enough for you? I mean, I have practically turned myself into a three ring circus show and you still ignore me." My eyes were threatening to tear up, but I couldn't let him see me cry. Crying was a sign of weakness in his mind, and I was not about to let him emerge victorious.

"Melody, don't try to pull some bull crap on me and act like we both don't know what exactly you put in your college admissions essay. How else do you think you got into four Ivy League schools?"

I shook my head. "That's not true, I made honors my senior year and did well at Moorpark. Besides, it's not like I said something everybody didn't already know, that you could care less about me. I don't need this from you, Daddy. It's my birthday dinner, and not only are you embarrassing me enough in front of my boyfriend, you're also making yourself look like an arrogant jerk."

I happened to glance over at Lilly, who couldn't even look me in the eye. She was ashamed, ashamed because she knew she should speak up but was afraid of how my father would react, and she has to be subservient in order to secure her meal ticket, right?

"Phillip, she's right. Why don't we change the topic and enjoy our food?"

Dad completely ignored her and kept talking to me. "I'm really at my wit's end here, I've tried everything. Tony looked right at you at the seminar-

I groaned, gripping my hair. "Jesus, do we have to bring that up again?! Daddy, please!"

"He looked right at you and it didn't change a damn thing! Look at you, your life is a mess! You threw away a perfectly good engagement to run off with this one over here," He nodded over at Gareth, who I looked at in complete mortification. "Mr. Single Dad. You've yet to decide what you want to do with your life, and I don't think the people you're surrounded by are much of an influence, either. What's this I'm hearing from Abraham and Eugene that you're hanging out with Rosita Espinoza? Do you have a selective memory and not remember what she did? Why can't you be more like your sisters, Melody? Penny is already taking SAT Prep, Meghan has been considered for early acceptance into Julliard, the youngest of her class, and what's big sister's claim to fame besides mooching off of me? Oh, right, you draw on people's faces. How could I forget?"

"I know what she did and she's not entirely to blame. Your good friend Martinez is, also, or are you the one with the selective memory? Rosita has been a good friend to me despite all that, she actually cares unlike some people, i.e. my own blood. You're making me out to be much bigger of a failure than I am and don't be so ignorant. Makeup is so much more than drawing on faces, it's about creating a character, an identity completely different from one's own self."

Lilly cleared her throat. "Melody, what your father is trying to say- and I don't necessarily agree with this- is that he's not proud of you because you have yet to accomplish anything. Honestly, I'm not even sure if the seminar worked, either. It was obviously a distressing time, but you chose to concentrate on only that boy."

I was on the verge of explosion, this dinner was a big mistake, because all my dad saw was how I wasn't what he tried to force upon me, and it was obvious Lilly was going to side with him no matter what he said.

"Hmm, maybe because I was traumatized, can you blame me? I'm not the same person I was when Aiden died. Yeah, his name is Aiden, not "that boy". I was in a really dark period following his murder and losing the house and all our money, I was really angry at you and Mom for a very long time. There were times I'd lie awake at night thinking of all the ways I could kill myself, but I knew I couldn't because it wasn't how my story was meant to end. As far as not accomplishing anything, you're wrong and I'm not dead, there's still time. I've pulled my head out of my ass and undergone a drastic metamorphosis. I started doing more makeup work so I could make my own money, I've been applying for schools, you haven't even noticed that I've lost almost thirty pounds, and for once in my life I'm in a stable relationship with a man. I am my own person, not who you tried to make me, Dad. I'm sorry that I'll always stand out, but I'm your daughter and you need to accept me for who I am. I know you had your heart set on me ending up with Ben, but it's not going to happen and whatever you say about Gareth, you're saying about me, too."

I grabbed Gareth's hand before glaring down my father, unafraid of his words and refusing to let them hurt me any longer. Everything I said was true, I had changed for the better and was pursuing my future, I wasn't hiding behind the shadows and away from the world.

Dad then diverted his attention to Gareth. "Tell me something, Gareth. Would you walk on burning hot coals to overcome your fears?"

It seemed that my profound declaration went right over my father's head. I could tell Gareth was caught a little off-guard and perhaps he was nervous, I just hoped this wouldn't get any worse.

**_GARETH_ **

This dinner was becoming more intense by the minute, much more than I had originally anticipated. Apparently I was wrong for thinking that time could mend the wounds, it had only pent things up further.

"Well, no, I wouldn't, but I respect anybody's decision to do it. Melody and I went sky-diving and bungee jumping a couple months ago, along with hiking Spahn Ranch, a.k.a. "Manson Ranch". I think that definitely ranks up there with conquering fears. May I interject though, Phillip?"

He hesitated before nodding. "Go ahead."

I cleared my throat, trying to brush off the increasing nerves. This was the first time I had dealt with somebody as intimidating as Phillip, no wonder he is our current governor, he's very tenacious. "I know that I'm probably not the most ideal candidate to date your daughter. I don't come from a wealthy or powerful family, my dad left when I was child, I have two lesbian mothers and a daughter out of wedlock, play video games on a headset and read comic books, not to mention a brother who says whatever perverted thing pops up into his head and a sister who worships Wes Craven, but who you're with right now is the real me. I like to think that I'm sincere and loyal with everything I do, whether it's being a hard worker, good father, or great boyfriend, I put everything into it. I can tell you that at the beginning of the year, I wasn't in a very positive place. Some things happened that kind of threw me in a devastating loop, but once I met Melody, everything changed. We've both come such a long way these past few months. I can sit here and say without a doubt that I think your daughter is a real gem, she's one of the most loving and generous people I've ever met. Some days, I can't believe my luck that such a beautiful girl like Melody would even give a nerd like me the time of day." I gripped Melody's hand. She was my girl and I would always take a stand for her.

"Happy Happy Birthday, from all us to you, happy happy birthday, we hope your wish come true! Hey!"

The waiter and two other waitresses set down a single slice of chocolate cake with a lit birthday candle in front of Melody, who had burst into a fit of laughter, her face bright red.

"Thank you, Governor, come again." Rudy bowed before setting the check down on the table and walking off. Phillip reached to grab for it, but I was quicker.

"Here, let me get this one." I said, reaching for my wallet.

"No, allow me."

"I insist." I smiled, putting my Black American Express card in the folder, I could tell he and Lilly were impressed. Once my student loans were paid off and my credit was at a great score, the first thing I did was apply for the card, which had been something I always wanted, and quite frankly I felt that I earned it. "You can owe me one for the wedding. Melody said something about Castello Orsini-Odescalchi in Bracciano, the Province of Rome. It's where Martin Scorsese and Isabella Rosellini got married. Better save up those tax dollars, Governor."

Phillip and Lilly stared dumbfounded at us as I joined Melody in the laughter. It was so great that she was laughing when she was so sad only moments before.

"Well, you've certainly proved your worth, haven't you, Gareth?"

I nodded in agreement. "Yes. Yes, I have."

**_TEN MINUTES LATER_ **

"Bye, guys, I'll see you on Christmas Eve!" Melody waved good-bye as I pulled away from the valet and out of The Grove before looking back over at me. "So what did you think?"

I heavily exhaled, finally feeling like I could relax. "I can speak freely, right?"

"Of course."

"Your father is something else, that's all I can say. I swear, the whole time he talked I kept hearing this eerie music in my head."

She laughed, resting her head on my shoulder. "See? I told you he was a jackass. You're lucky that you don't have a father."

"As much as you're not going to like what I'm about to say, I can tell Phillip cares about you, he just has a very odd and selfish way of showing it. Maybe one day things will change, I hope so."

Unfortunately, the ball was now in Phillip's court, so who knew if their relationship would ever improve? He's very stubborn and narrow-minded, it was certainly going to be a challenge. Although, by the end of dinner he had finally loosened up some, he even invited us the Red Cross Ball in mid-January.

"I don't know, I don't even know if any of what I said resonated with him. My dad is so damn adamant about things being his way and nobody else's. I mean, when he put you down about being a single dad, that was so dumb! What's so funny about being a single parent? He's just an arrogant prick, Gare. I'm sorry you had to deal with that."

"Hey, what are you apologizing for?" I squeezed her shoulder. "In an odd way, I actually think he liked me. At least he knows I'm not some loser mooching off of you. He's not the one I'm dating, you are, and it was wonderful how you stood up for yourself back there. I'm really proud of you, babe. I think I know exactly what will cheer you up." I smiled to myself, knowing exactly what I was going to do…

**_Three And A Half Hours Later_ **

**_MELODY_ **

"Mmm AHHH! Oh, my gosh!" I threw my head back against the pillows, panting heavily, gripping the sheets as my whole body quaked with lust and wanton over this unbelievable rush.

Gareth popped his head out from underneath the sheets and crawled up, smiling down on me.

"How are you feeling now?"

I knew my face was flushed staring up at him, my brain was in an erotic fog, too tongue-tied to even form a sentence.

"Wow, I can't even talk. Two hours?! Gareth, you're so amazing, in more ways than one." After gabbing with Rick and Lori over the evening, Gareth and I retreated to the bedroom. He was right, I was definitely more relaxed now.

He smirked before placing a kiss on my cheek and laying down, pulling me against his chest. "What can I say? You're too delicious to pass up. I'm glad you're feeling better though."

Gareth glanced over at my alarm clock. "It's midnight. Happy birthday, pretty girl."

"Thanks." I was hoping that he didn't hear the crack in my voice when I replied, but he had.

"Melody, what's wrong?"

I couldn't look at him as my tears flowed, having tried so hard not to cry. "Nothing, forget about it."

"Hey." He rolled me over so our eyes could meet. "Don't say nothing or to forget about it, it's obviously something if you're crying. Come on, tell me."

I took a shaky breath, knowing I could tell him anything, even when I thought I couldn't tell a soul. "My dad really does favor my sisters. He's not like that with them, the way he is with me. All the abuse and fights, they'll never have to grow up with him the way that I did, they're unscathed while I'm covered in battle scars." Sometimes I really was jealous of Penny and Meghan, how they were granted the luck of not knowing what it was like when Phillip Blake got truly angry, the fits he would throw that would escalate to things imaginably worse. Why was it so different with my mom and me? We didn't do anything wrong and he took it out on us, yet he treats them with actual respect and love. It didn't matter who I am or what I was, I don't think my dad would ever love me flaws and all.

"Melody." Gareth cupped my cheek, cradling me in his arms. "You really are stronger because of it, and who knows what he's like with them? All you have to know is that you will never, ever go through anything like that again. I promise." He kissed my tears away before his lips found mine, his hands removing whatever clothing we had left on as he proceeded to make love to me.

As I held onto him, I believed his words. Who knows what the future held with my dad, all I knew was that I didn't have to worry about dealing with the inane antics of dating, because I had found my beloved in Gareth and I was finally home. He was my home, he _is_ my home.

**_Reviews are encouraged! Please read and follow and spread the word! NO FLAMES! :)_ **


	35. Jet-Setting in Style

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gareth surprises Melody for her twenty first birthday with Krispy Kremes and a spontaneous trip to Las Vegas with all her friends, Lori and Rick in tow. Charlotte and Gareth discuss the night before with Phillip. Melody comes up with an outrageous idea for her and Gareth, who reminds her of the possible bigger picture. Lori is looking forward to the time away from home while Rick wonders if Gareth has gone too far out for Melody's birthday weekend.

**Hi everybody! Hope you all had an excellent 4th of July! It's the start of Melody's birthday weekend, which I am going all out on! Brace yourselves though, there will be trouble in paradise when a new character comes in next chapter and shakes things up for Gareth and Melody! Whether or not it's an original character or one from _TWD_ universe, I'll leave that a surprise. Davis from the comics makes an appearance in this chapter, the next chapter will be much longer! Hatlin's is the bar that Rick, Hershel and Glenn were in Episode 208 "Nebraska" and of course we all know Terminus! ;P I've seen  _The Beatles: Love_  by Cirque du Soelil and it's incredible, a must see!**

**_Chapter Thirty Five: Jet-Setting in Style_ **

**_The Next Day, 8:00 am_ **

**_MELODY_ **

"Mel-o-dy... My sweet little Melody..." Gareth whispered in my ear as I slept, kissing my neck, but I kept squirming, trying to remain in the land of dreams for a bit longer.

"Rise and shine, baby girl. It's your birthday."

"Yeah, and I want to sleep in! If you're horny, just do me on the side." I groaned, burying myself further into my pillow, almost back to sleep when an intoxicating smell had my senses at full alert. An aroma of sweet sugar filled my nostrils, leaving my mouth watering. I opened my eyes to find Gareth sitting on the bed, casually dressed and holding an open box of Krispy Kremes.

"EEEE! Krispy Kremes!" I sat up squealing, clutching the sheets tightly to my nude body as I reached out for a scrumptious ring. "You got all my favorites! Glazed, Oreo, birthday cake,  _Ghostbusters_ -" I paused to take a bite, sinking my teeth into the yummy softness of this glazed delicacy. "They're hot and fresh! How did you do this?"

"Let's just say I'm a very persuasive man, darling, and I'd do anything for you. After you finish these-"

"You don't expect me to eat all of these, do you?"

"Ha, I'll help you. Ok, after  _we_ finish eating these, I want you to get all dolled up and pack three days worth of clothes."

"Where are we going?" I asked, grabbing a birthday cake doughnut and sucking the Kreme filling out of it.

He wagged his finger back and forth. "Ahh, ahh, ahh. It's a surprise, princess. All I can tell you is pack your hottest cocktail dresses, your sexiest bikinis, and your fanciest shoes, we've got a 10:00 am plane to catch."

"Oh, come on! Please, hot lips? I'll do that thing you like." I shook my shoulders back and forth with a wink.

Gareth started laughing, his cheeks turning a bit red because he knew exactly what I was referring to. "Maybe later, but I can promise that you won't be disappointed. In fact, it'll be the complete opposite."

**_AN HOUR LATER_ **

**_GARETH_ **

"Anywhereville, here we come!" Melody leaped out from the bathroom, posed with one hand on her hip and the other up in the air. She looked adorable in her patched green Rock & Republic blazer, white tank top and dark blue faded ankle frayed skinny jeans tucked into knee high black UGG boots with silver studs, topping it off with a pair of chrome Chanel sunglasses and a round pink suitcase, which I'm assuming her makeup was in, because she also had a black leather Gucci satchel. It made me all the more excited about the surprise, which I had been planning for a little over a month now.

"Alright, let's get going then." I grabbed her two overstuffed Louis Vuitton duffle bags, surprised over their weight. "Melody, I said pack for three days, not three weeks."

"Sorry, I couldn't help it! Old habits, ya know?" She laced her fingers through mine as we proceeded down the stairs. "Gareth, I am so excited you have no idea. I'm actually kind of bummed out; Kendall was the only one to wish me "Happy Birthday" on Facebook and a text from my mom, nobody else. Rick, Lori, and Carl already left by now, but I don't know about everybody else. You're the only one that's even mentioned my birthday."

"Hmm, well, I'm sure they have a perfectly good reason why. Here, let me get the door for you." I had to bite my tongue so I wouldn't laugh as I opened the door.

**_"SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY MELODY!"_ **

Melody gasped, dropping her bags as her hands flew to her mouth, looking at the crowd. "Oh, my gosh! I finally got a surprise party! I thought you all forgot!"

Everybody was there. Charlotte, Lori, Rick, Carl, Merle, Daryl, Rosita, Boah, Gleggie, Tara, Alisha, Stefon, Aaron, Eric, Martin, Alex, Albert, Sasha, and I even managed to get Bob the weekend off.

Sasha shook her head and smirked. "Girl, you must be crazy to think that any of us here could forget you or your birthday!"

"Happy Birthday, Aunt Melody!" Carl raced up, giving her a hug, followed by the rest of the family. As I stood there watching, I was filled with this overwhelming pride and joy that I was able to make her so happy. She turned around and smiled.

"I can't believe you did this for me."

"Hey, why does he get all the thanks? I'm the one that got you this." Merle tossed Melody a pair of keys and pointed over to a hot pink and black chopper with a huge bow on it, complete with the Dixie Motors cupie doll logo.

"My own bike?! No way! That's freaking sweet! Thanks, Merle!" She ran over and gave him the biggest hug.

"You're welcome, darling'."

"Which she is not riding." Charlotte snatched the keys out of Melody's hand.

"But, Mommy…"

"Don't "But Mommy" me, I don't want your brains splattered all over the pavement!"

"Charlotte, my brother and I will teach her how to be the best rider. Forget Evel Knievel, we'll be calling her "Easy Rider" before you know it." Daryl said with a smile.

"Alright, fine. I know you won't let anything happen to her."

"That's not all that's in store, Mellie." Rick said before turning around and whistling through his fingers. We watched as a massive black party bus pulled up and Melody screamed, jumping up and down.

"OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD! A PARTY BUS?! I'VE ALWAYS WANTED ONE OF THESE! Now can you tell me where we're going?"

I nodded. "Tell her, Aaron."

"Well, little lady, we're going to spend the weekend in Sin City… Viva Las Vegas, baby!"

"Shut up! We're going to Vegas?! I freaking love it there!"

"Yeah, and we're flying first class, so can you hurry that sexy little ass of yours up?" Rosita asked, playfully smacking Melody on the butt.

"Rosita!" Merle jokingly scolded her. "Not in front of the missus."

Charlotte scoffed. "Trust me, hun, after all these years nothing surprises me." She walked over and hugged Lori and Melody as everybody got on the bus. "Please behave, girls. Lori, don't let your sister get too out of control."

Lori laughed with a nod. "I promise, Mom, you have nothing to worry about. Melody's a good girl. We'll call you when we check in."

"Ok, have fun. I love you both so much." They hugged and kissed good-bye before I was left with Charlotte.

"I promise there won't be anything to worry about. Charlotte, did the girls happen to tell you about last night?"

She nodded. "Yes, and it looks like you survived the wrath of Phillip."

"Ha, that's putting it mildly. Whatever he said about me, I just brushed it off, it was more what he was saying about Melody that was disturbing. She was crying about it last night." It really broke my heart seeing her that upset. Melody had so much to be proud of but Phillip's lack of acknowledgment made anything she achieved insignificant in her mind, which was so far from the truth.

"I've tried for years to form a relationship between the two of them, but my ex-husband is just too stuck in his ways, it's probably why he's such an outstanding politician. I like to think that Melody gets her stubbornness from him, but I wish she would realize that she doesn't need him, she has all of us. He'll come around, but by then it will be too late."

"I completely agree with you." Melody was better off without her dad, he refused to accept her for the unique individual she was, but it was no reason for him to be so negative. After that dinner last night, we were both in need of some R&R.

**_AN HOUR AND A HALF LATER_ **

**_MELODY_ **

"Wow, I can't believe we're in first class with strawberries and Dom Perignon. I feel like such a rock star!" I giggled, already feeling a little tipsy from the champagne as I rested my head in Gareth's lap, and I had a feeling that my drinking this weekend had only just begun. "Did you know about all this?" I asked Lori, who was sitting across from us with Rick, who was working on his iPad.

"Duh, I couldn't let Gareth plan it on his own. It was part of my big sister duty to cut in and help out. Although, I must say that you won't be disappointed."

Gareth smiled, stroking my hair. "Like I said, I'm a very persuasive man, I had to make sure that you get the best birthday possible, and there's going to be many more surprises in store."

"Of course I won't be disappointed." I reached across and grabbed Lori's hand. "Even though you can't drink with the rest of us, I couldn't even imagine celebrating my birthday without you, it wouldn't be the same. I love you, Lollipop."

She smiled, squeezing my hand. "I love you, too, Melondrop. We're going to have so much fun."

"I can't wait for what's next." I pulled Gareth in for a steamy kiss when a thought occurred to me. "Wait a second." I leaned my head back over the armrest, looking at Beth and Noah upside down in the seats next to us. "Bethy, how are you even going to get into any of the night clubs? Your birthday isn't for another week and we have to go to 54!"

"Ha, we've got that taken care of." Noah said as Beth pulled a card out of her wallet and handed it to me. I looked down to see a fake id with Beth's picture.

"For this weekend, I'll be Emily Kinney. What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas, right, Lyric?" She asked me, a wicked grin on her face.

"I'll drink to that." Alisha toasted from her seat across the way as Gareth got up to go to the bathroom while I handed Beth her id card back.

"I want to say I'm surprised, but I'm not. I always knew you had a bit of a wild side, Beth. Just don't tell your dad. Thanks for bringing it out of her, Noah."

"You got it. We are gonna raise the roof and burn it to the ground this weekend!"

"Yeah!" Maggie leaned over her seat in front of Beth and toasted them. I had just finished my third glass of champagne when my phone vibrated and "Immortals" started playing, knowing it was a text from Gareth.

**_~My Love~_ **

**_Meet me in the bathroom in five ;)_ **

I couldn't help but smirk, knowing what he had planned for us. Rick was working, Lori was engrossed in her book, and everybody else was distracted, I could totally sneak off. It would also be a good opportunity for me to bring up the brilliant idea that popped into my head once I found out where we were headed.

**_FIVE MINUTES LATER_ **

"Hey, I'm glad you made it. Did anybody notice you coming back here?" Gareth asked me as I shook my head, closing us inside the bathroom.

"Nope, everybody's doing their own thing."

We must have been having the same thought, because the next thing I knew we were furiously French kissing with me against the door.

"I've wanted to do that all day."

"Me too."

Gareth lifted me up as we continued kissing, my legs wrapped around him, but I hit my head on the countertop above the sink, which made us start awkwardly laughing.

"Are you ok?" He asked as he set me on the sink, rubbing the back of my head.

"Mmhmm, I'm fine. Man, these bathrooms really are compact, you'd have to be a contortionist just to give a blowjob."

"We'll figure something out, I'm sure." Gareth smiled at me, his hands still on my face. "I'm glad you came back here, I wanted us to have a moment alone before things get wild n' crazy later on." His hands moved downwards, embracing me softly, resting his head on my chest. I smiled, running my fingers through his hair.

"I'm glad, too, sweetie. I came up with the most insane idea, wanna hear it?"

"Sure."

Taking a deep breath, I was a little nervous to tell him. "Ok, now that I know where we're going, I think we should go to one of those wedding halls and get hitched."

Gareth lifted his head up and looked at me, one eyebrow raised. "Is this you proposing to me?"

"I don't know, is it?"

"I don't know, are you?"

I started laughing, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Kind of, maybe, sort of." I put my hands on the back of his head, giving him a serious look. "After last night, I realized there is nobody else I want to spend my life with but you. I want to get married and be Mrs. Gareth Mandel, I want to travel the world with you by my side and have your babies, and I want us to grow old together. The timing isn't too bad, either. All our friends are here, there won't be any drama, and come Monday we can send the pictures into TMZ and piss my dad off."

"Ha, we wouldn't want to give him a heart attack now, would we?"

"I was kidding about that last bit."

"I know." Gareth rested his forehead against mine, gazing at me with such love. "As much as I want to, and believe me, I do, we can't. We can't because it isn't as meaningful this way and I wouldn't want you to regret it later. Not only that, but we can't do it without our families. I want our moms and Autumn Montana there, and I know you do, also. Plus, where are we going to find a Jewish synagogue in Las Vegas, and do you really want to remember a marriage proposal being in an airplane bathroom?"

"Hmmm, no. I guess you're right. Sorry, I got a little carried away. Disregard this, ok?"

"It's fine, but I want to make an honest woman out of you, doll. Propose to you properly on one knee with a ring and have a big Jewish wedding."

I realized he was right. I had been planning my wedding and dreaming about a proposal since I was a little girl, it wouldn't be the same eloping. With Ben, it wasn't romantic at all, our dads sat us down and said it was happening. "You're right, but let's leave the chair dance out or I'll have the same reaction I did when the waiter sang me "Happy Birthday" last night. Tomato face."

"Whatever you want, Melody. While we're here, I wouldn't mind taking your mile-high club virginity."

"I thought you'd never make the move." My grin broadened and my eyes narrowed as we both attacked the others pants, yanking them down, our lips joined in heated kisses once more. Still mounted against the sink, Gareth began plowing into me with great speed, making me gasp and hold onto his shoulders.

"Mmm, Gareth…"

**_LORI_ **

"Isn't this marvelous, Rick?" I asked as I sipped my orange juice, feeling completely at ease.

"Yeah, honey?"

"We're finally getting a little break from things."

"I don't know how much of a break it will be, Lori. We won't even get any alone time for ourselves. We're with a bunch of twenty-somethings.

I put my hand on Rick's knee and gave him a kiss. "Don't worry, baby. We'll make the time, especially since we have a separate suite."

He smiled, putting his iPad down and wrapping his arm around me until my head was on his shoulder. "You're right, I'm sure we will make the most of it. The kids will be fine on their own."

Right now, everything in my life was going so wonderfully, I couldn't ask for anything more. We were all in a great place and I hoped it continued to stay that way.

"I love it that you never wear panties, it's so hot. All I have to do is pull your pants down and fuck you wherever I am."

We were interrupted by a rattling sound, progressing into loud banging, which was when I noticed that Melody and Gareth weren't in their seats. Rick shot me a confused look.

"Lor, where are-"

"I love the feel of your giant cock. In me, in my mouth, my hand wrapped around it. I love you, I love your dick."

I bit my lip, trying everything not bust out laughing.

"Is that…"

"Yeah? I love how tight you are, I love the way your tits bounce when I fuck you. Your big, massive, oversized titties that my brother won't shut up over. They're mine and nobody else's."

Their dialogue progressed into deep moans and heavy breathing. Rick and I looked at each other, both flabbergasted and also shocked that nobody else seemed to have noticed. Perhaps only we did since we were seated by the bathroom at the front of the plane.

A few moments later, Melody and Gareth emerged from the bathroom, both of them with what their generation would call "freshly fucked" hair and I could see faint remnants of lipstick kisses on Gareth's neck. They sat down, acting like nothing happened, Gareth grabbing his iPad and Melody rummaging through her satchel.

"So, how was the mile high club, Melody?" Rick asked, to which I had to bury my head in his shoulder so they wouldn't see me laughing.

"Uh, what? I didn't do anything!"

"Yeah, you don't have us fooled, kid. Nice try."

"Oh, Melody, you're really an adult now." I smirked, sometimes her embarrassment was funny, this was one of those moments.

**_AN HOUR LATER_ **

**_THE PALMS CASINO RESORT, LAS VEGAS_ **

**_RICK_ **

"So Gareth, we haven't discussed who is paying for the room."

This birthday trip was pretty extravagant to say the least. First class tickets, party busses to and from the airport, and now the two story sky villa at The Palms, which was a whopping $40K a night, it was certainly costing a pretty penny.

"Rick, I told you, I've got this. You pay me too damn much to the point where I don't know what to do with anything."

"Maybe I should get it." I said as we walked into The Palms, admiring the modernized lounge feel to the lobby.

"Nah, I'll get it." Daryl insisted. "We're gonna show the girl a good time, I have no problem picking up the bill."

"How about this? We'll all draw our cards and have the front desk clerk pick it out." Gareth suggested.

"Alright, fine." Lori was right, I really did need to relax. Why was I so uncomfortable over this lavish display that Gareth was putting on for Melody's birthday? It's his girlfriend and she absolutely deserved it, maybe the fact that I overheard them getting it on in the airplane bathroom still left me kind of rattled. Why is their generation so public with sex? It's almost baffling. What happened to a little discretion?

"Hi there, I have a couple reservations under Gareth Mandel."

"And one under Rick Grimes."

"Ahhh, Mr. Mandel! Mr. Grimes! Welcome to the Palms Casino Resort. We've been looking forward to your stay." The clerk was a tall African American man with curly white hair to his ears, a wide smile, and a hint of a Jamaican accent. His nametag read  _Davis._

"Yes, so have we. We're actually having a little dilemma about who will be paying for what, so if you could-"

"I actually have a message for you both, Mr. Mandel and Mr. Grimes." Curtis opened a message book as Gareth and I glanced at each other in confusion.

"Here it is. It's from a Mr. Billy Steverson. "Rick and Gareth, sorry we won't be able to make it out there until tomorrow, Delilah had to go into the studio for some voice overs. Please wish Melody a Happy Birthday for us and enjoy the bottle of Gout de Diamants. We have taken care of the bill for the villa, we'll be seeing you soon. Love, Billy and Delilah"."

I felt a bit relieved, even though it sucked that Billy and Delilah wouldn't be arriving until tomorrow. Who knew that they would make up for it by paying for the room and leaving a million dollar bottle of champagne? I had worked hard for my success and riches, but there were still times it was a bit jarring from the modest upbringing I had in Georgia.

"Alright, glad to know that's taken care of." Daryl said before walking off.

"Your personal butler/concierge is bringing the bags up. Would you like to take the villa's personal entrance glass elevator?"

Gareth shook his head. "No, that's fine. I want everybody to see it in whole. Thanks for all your help."

"You're welcome. Enjoy your stay here at The Palms and we hope to see you again."

"How're you doing, boss? You ok?" Gareth asked as we walked back to everybody else.

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little tired."

"Well, we aren't going to dinner until about six, so you've got plenty of time to chill." He patted me on the shoulder. "This weekend is all about relaxing. Sipping drinks poolside, do a little gambling, it'll be a blast. Are you ready for it?"

"Definitely, I'm sure we'll have a great time." I needed this weekend, as did Gareth, we had been swamped at the office. A little time away would without a doubt recharge our batteries.

"How do you think Melody will react to the room?"

"Probably go crazy."

"Yeah, you're right with that one."

In the past few months that they've been dating, I had really gotten to know Gareth more outside of who he was at Woodbury. He was a good guy and I considered him a good friend. If he became my brother-in-law, I wouldn't mind that one bit, either. Actually, I had been pondering a lot lately about buying Shane out and having Gareth be my partner instead. Shane's been lagging, perhaps it's time for him to retire early…

**_GARETH_ **

"So, what's on the agenda for tonight?" Bob asked as we all stepped into the elevator, just barely avoiding the maximum capacity limit.

"Well, first we're going to Hatlin's for dinner."

"I heard the food there is amazing!" Tara said.

"It better be, it's a five star restaurant. Then we're going to see  _The Beatles: Love_  by Cirque du Soelil at The Mirage and afterwards this hot new nightclub."

"I've always wanted to see a Cirque show! What's the club called?" Beth asked.

"Terminus."

Her reply, along with a couple of the other girls, was to give a strange look. "Terminus? That's a weird name for a nightclub."

"Right? Apparently it's zombie apocalypse-esque that's decorated really creepily but it's supposed to be pretty cool. They even have a slogan: "Those who arrive, survive"."

"It sounds wicked awesome, and I'm super excited to see this room! You haven't told me anything!" Melody looked up at me and smiled, her arm linked through mine.

"I told you, it's a surprise." I smiled as we got off the elevator and turned to everybody once we were all outside the villa. "Guys, I hope you have some earplugs handy." My smile broadening, I opened the door, fully braced for the gaggle of screams the girls would soon be providing.


	36. Sin City, Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garody and the gang begin to party down Las Vegas style. Gareth and Melody further their commitment to each other; Alex convinces Gareth to go out of his element and Melody makes a new friend.

**Hi everybody! Here's the longer chapter! Like I promised, somebody comes in that will unintentionally try to shake things up between our lovebirds! The Hugh Hefner Sky Villa at The Palms is beyond incredible, as is the Cartier Love Bracelet! Omid and Jake are both from the TellTale game, Spencer and Aiden Monroe (who will make an appearance in future chapters) from the TV show, BJ and Eddie are names from the web series, Anthony from the novels, Hap from the comics, as is the last name Bridges. I'll be uploading the character profile for Crash on WalkingDeadFanFiction, but he based on and inspired by Josh, Nico Tortorella's character on the TVLand show _Younger_ , who also serves as the character's dossier. Also, SAY NO TO DRUGS, KIDS! I came up with the shots idea from an episode of _Younger,_ and decided it would be pretty funny. I hope nobody is mad at either Gareth or Melody, these things happen sometimes!**

**I wanna give a special shout out to my beta reader texasbelle91, as well as 6980085LMFAO, Headwalkerz, Joshua the Terminian, pen123, Prettyprincess45, and SilverSun09. Please check out their stories, because they are freaking awesome!**

**_DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NOR HAVE ANY AFFILIATIONS WITH SHOTS, I LIVED OR DON'T. ALL PROPERTIES OWNED BY LMFAO, ONE REPUBLIC AND ED SHEERAN, RESPECTIVELY. I ONLY OWN MY OWN ORIGINAL IDEAS AND CHARACTERS._ **

**_Chapter Thirty Six: Sin City, Part One_ **

**_GARETH_ **

"OH MY GOD!" The girls began shrieking as they ran into the villa, looking around animatedly, throwing their purses and mini-packs down. I had rented out the Hugh Hefner Sky Villa, the very pricey but ultimate party palace that personified "high roller" in every which way, shape, and form. The rest of the guys and I couldn't help but laugh as we watched the girls and Stefon explore.

The first floor walls were decorated with various pieces from the Playboy art collection, red and black leather furniture surrounded the room in it's modern/art deco entirety, perfectly contrasting with the chrome fixings. There was an entertainment center with four pop up flat screen TVs across from the poker table and two fully stocked black and red bars, one accompanied by chairs and couches and the other had bar seating, along with an indoor pool, kitchenette, dining room and living room with a fire place.

"Oh, my gosh! Look at the pool!"

The outside terrace was really something else, definitely a one of a kind. Starting with a sunbathing section surrounded by couches, lounges, and another bar, the pool was encased in a glass wall that stretched out to the edge of the building, the clouds and sun reflecting off it with an outstanding view of the strip, topped off with a black Playboy bunny logo engraved on the bottom.

"There's a massage and sauna room upstairs, and the master suite has a mirror on the ceiling! This is phenomenal! I am so using the gym and photo booth!"

"Bone Ranger, this is sweet ass sweet!" My brother slapped me on the back.

"Yeah, way to go, man." Daryl followed. "This is definitely my kind of party spot."

"You do know you're making all of us look bad, right, Gareth?" Glenn asked. "It'll be impossible for us to top this for our girlfriends."

I rolled my eyes and shrugged. "Hey, it's the thought that counts, right? Mellie's had a hard year, and she deserves it." To many, this may have seemed over the top, but I wanted Melody to have an unforgettable twenty first, and we were definitely doing it up right in Vegas. All I hoped was that things didn't get too out of control…

"Welcome, welcome, welcome to the Hugh Hefner Sky Villa." A dark haired Persian man dressed sharply in a tuxedo and a posh British accent stepped through the private entrance glass elevator, followed by four busty, high heeled clad Stacy Keibler look alikes in satin one pieces and the traditional bunny ears and tail. "My name is Omid and I'll be your personal butler for this weekend."

I waved. "Hi, I'm Gareth, and these are the guys."

"Dude, are those actual Playboy bunnies as our bartenders?! Fuck yes, I've died and gone to heaven!" Albert, Alex and Martin scurried over to the bar, watching the bunnies mix drinks.

"I've taken the liberty and already brought the luggage up, it's in the foyer. Whatever you need, I am at your command. Why don't I start by opening the bottle of champagne that Mr. and Mrs. Steverson sent?"

"Ok, sure."

Melody ran down the stairs. "Oh, my god! You have to see the master, it's outstanding!" She grabbed my hand, almost tripping me she raced up the steps so quickly, barely giving me time to check out the state-of-the-art gym and massage room on the way.

I looked around the master bedroom, which had a two-way fireplace, an in-room tub, and a rotating bed with a mirrored ceiling, all surrounded by panoramic views of the city.

"Wow, you were right, it's pretty sick."

Melody glanced at me, still smiling. "It seems so surreal. I can't believe you did all this for me, Gareth." She wrapped her arms around me, her hands reaching the back of my shoulders. "Not gonna lie, it makes what I did for your birthday seem so minute."

I smiled, stroking her hair. "Why? You're my babe, I have to do your birthday up right, not to mention in style. I loved my birthday and I wouldn't change a single thing."

"I know, which is why I want to show you how appreciative I am." She pulled back, a salacious grin on her face, flinging her blazer on a chair before pulling her tank top over her head and unhooking her bra, exposing herself. "Come on, we have to try the bed out."

I chuckled over her sudden change. "Oh, yes, we do."

"Gareth, Melody, get your butts down here! We're getting Rick to do shots!" Lori shouted up.

"YE-AH! Shots shots shots shots shots shots shots shots shots! EVERYBODY!"

"Noah, crank it up loud!"

I popped my head out the door. "There's three other rooms, decide who gets what, and whomever is left over I've rented out suites for the rest of you, but right now Melody and I are preoccupied. Alex, if you burst in here I'll bite your head off!"

The sound of hoots and hollers could be heard even after I had closed the door. "Now, where were we?" I wrapped my arm around Melody's naked waist, pulling her in and nibbling her neck.

"Mmm, we were going to test out the bed." She snaked her head under to capture my lips and jumped up, wrapping her arms and legs around me. I gripped her thighs as I walked us to the bed, only breaking the kiss to throw her down. Melody began hastily undoing my pants when "Shots" by LMFAO featuring Lil' Jon blasted from downstairs. We looked at each other, unable to contain ourselves and started laughing.

"They are such dorks."

"You can say that again. They're having their fun, now let's have ours."

**_5:45 PM_ **

"Melody, hurry up, our reservation is at 6:15 and the limo will be here any minute." I groaned, laying down on the bed, ready for a night on the town with my sharp new duds. After spending the afternoon poolside with cocktails, it was time for Hatlin's. "Why do girls take forever to get ready? Seriously, you don't need all that makeup."

Melody scoffed in annoyance. "Yes, I do! I can't believe you're semi-insulting my livelihood."

"I'm not insulting your anything, I'm just saying who do you have to impress?"

She peered out from behind the bathroom wall, attracting my attention. "I'm a girl, the whole point is to get all dolled up and pretty. You don't want to be going out with a ragamuffin, do you?"

Melody was wearing this black strapless peplum dress that was accented in gold zippers and skintight, outlining every curve and pushing her breasts up so high that I was worried if they'd stay in, along with a pair of black leather Christian Louboutin pumps adorned in gold spikes and a black rhinestoned Judith Leiber dolphin clutch. Lately, Melody hadn't been as insecure, but I still thought she was one of the prettiest girls I've ever seen. The fact that she was mine made her all the more beautiful.

"You can't wear that dress, Melody."

She gave me her confused puppy dog face, cocking her head to the side as I walked over. "Huh? Why not?"

"Because I just want to rip it off and fuck you, that's why." I grabbed her hips and thrust into her, grinding her into the counter, watching myself in the mirror while I attacked her neck. Her gasp turned into a sly giggle.

"Wow, somebody's got some massive action going on."

My hand traveled up Melody's dress, casually slipping her panties down. "What can I say? You get me hot, but you know what will get me even hotter?" I asked, nipping her earlobe.

"Mmm, what?" She wrapped her hand around the nape of my neck, passionately kissing me and grabbing my erection.

"You going sans panties the whole night." Before she could think otherwise, I picked Melody up and set her on the counter, snatching her panties off the floor. They were a pair of black satin cheekies with pink roses on them and black lace trim.

"What? Gareth, you've got to be kidding me. I can't go around with no underwear all night."

"Mel, Gare, the limo is here!" Rick shouted up.

I shot her a cocky smirk, stuffing them into my pocket, making her mouth fly open. "Oh, you can, and I think you will. I'll give them back at the end of the night… if you're a good girl. Come on, we don't want to be late, do we, birthday girl?" I grabbed her hand as she finished organizing everything into her clutch, not giving her the opportunity to put another pair of panties on, which was kind of funny.

**_Hatlin's, An hour and a half later_ **

"And then there was the time that we snuck into the Season 6 wrap party of _How I Met Your Mother_ at Les Deux, even though we were obviously underage, and you convinced the cast to do a _RENT_ sing-along!"

Everybody laughed at one of Beth's many stories of her and Melody throughout the years. We were in the back room at Hatlin's, dining on fresh seafood and steaks grilled to perfection, not to mention the champagne was flowing, perfectly complimenting the joyful ambiance. Maggie and Sasha had insisted that Melody look like a total birthday princess and made her wear a pink boa, a pink and black sash that said "Birthday Bitch" in white writing, and a sapphire encrusted tiara. She was embarrassed but came around to it eventually.

"Meme, my memories with you for these past nineteen years are indescribable and anything but forgettable. You are and always will be my second sister, and here's to tomorrow and forever."

"To tomorrow and forever!"

We had all gone around the table toasting Melody. Of course, Rick and Lori's tender speeches made us misty eyed. The rest made everybody laugh, with Tara recalling how Melody walked barefoot at graduation and her brand new Manolo Blahniks had their own seat, or how she and Stefon got Aaron and Eric to dress as geishas in Kabuki makeup one night and walk up and down Hollywood Boulevard, Daryl and Rosita intended to make this weekend unforgettable, even Alex said some very nice things about how he was happy to have a new sister. Maggie and Glenn concluded their speech by presenting Melody with one of her birthday presents, which was a slideshow DVD of pictures and video clips throughout her life set to "Firework" by Katy Perry.

There were a lot of pictures from when she was little, Baby Melody being brought home from the hospital, a clip of Lori clapping hands with her at nine months and Rick spinning her around at three years old, plenty of pictures with Charlotte and family, not so much with Phillip, though. Pictures of Melody with all of her friends from two years old to last week, which included a hilarious snippet of Beth and Tara with Melody when they were trying to become a rap trio at fifteen, dressed up in wife beaters and trucker hats with baggy jeans, beat boxing and rappin' along to "Ch-Check It Out" by Beastie Boys.

Aiden and Kendall appeared in a couple of the pictures, there were even some with Randall and Ben, along with these two boys I recognized as politician Deanna Monroe's sons that Melody grew up with before they moved, not to mention a ton of pictures of the two of us. I expected her to be upset when the pictures of Aiden flashed on the screen, but all she did was grip my hand a little. It's never easy seeing pictures of somebody that's passed, I still get a little teary eyed when I look at the picture of me and Dale from graduation day that I have on desk at Woodbury, but Melody definitely handled it like a pro.

"Seriously, Melody, you changed my life. You're, like, the Jon Snow to my Sam Tarly. Ok, there are no female besties in _Game of Thrones_! It's all about bromance."

Rick shook his head. "No, what about Daenerys and Missandei?"

Melody nodded. "Yeah, he's totally right, even Sansa and Margery could count, too."

"Oh, yeah! Duh! Sorry, between you, Noah, Glenn and Gareth, we're gonna be all _GoT'_ ed out!" Beth started giggling as she sat down. "Ok, I think I've had too much champagne. Gareth, your turn."

"Alright, sure." I stood up, having gone over in my head what I was going to say for the past twenty minutes.

"Well, the story of how we got here is rather interesting, and it all started when Rick showed me Melody's picture three months ago, which is why I had to meet this beautiful creature in person, even if there was the possibility that she was out of my league. I never admitted this to anybody, but when I laid eyes on Melody for the first time, that song "She's So High" instantly popped in my head and it hasn't stopped playing since, because I knew right away that I wanted to be with her and to find out that she liked me too was something else, I couldn't believe my luck. After being jaded from the end of an eight year relationship, the fact that I found somebody was a blessing and it made me believe again."

I looked down at Melody with a smile, who was trying to hide the happy tears in her eyes. "Melody, moon of my life. It's been a very exciting roller coaster few months choked full of ups and downs, but I'd have to be heartless to trade them in for anything, because it gave me you. I know things were dark for a while, but please remember that you have a huge heart with so much love to give and how you light up any room you walk into, you light up the world, really. You already know that I love you, but I think it's about time that I lock it down." I heard a couple whispers as I got down on one knee, but before I could pull the box out of my blazer, I was interrupted.

**_MELODY_ **

"OH MY GAWD, OH MY GAWD, OH MY GAWD!" Eric squeaked, flapping his hands, accidentally slapping Aaron and Stefon on either side of him.

"Ow! Eric! You spread my blush!" Stefon whined.

"What's gotten into you?" Aaron asked, rubbing the side of his face.

Eric was bouncing uncontrollably in his chair. "He's gonna do it, he's gonna do it! He's gonna do it!"

"Do what?"

"Propose, duh!" He leaned over and grabbed my hand from across the table. "Please say yes! Yes, yes, yes! If you don't, I will! God, I feel like Meg Ryan in _When Harry Met Sally_!" He looked at me with a wink. Eric brought up an interesting point, was Gareth about to propose to me? We had discussed it before, but I didn't think he'd be doing it so soon. My heart started thumping in my chest, I didn't know whether to feel excited or nervous.

"Thank you for that performance, Eric. I'm sure we'll all want an encore, but I'm not proposing. Not yet, anyway." Gareth pulled a red leather gold embossed Cartier box out and handed it to me. Hearing that he wasn't proposing yet was a bit of a relief. It's not that I didn't want to marry him, I just have goals I want to fulfill before then, as does he. Inside the box was a beautiful 18 karat white gold bracelet set with four sapphires, two blue and two pink, two amethysts and two diamonds, along with a white gold screwdriver.

"What is it, what is it?" Tara asked, trying to look from across the table.

"It's a Cartier Love bracelet." Right after we had gotten back together, I had pointed the bracelet in a back issue of _Harper's Bazaar_ , but I didn't think I'd actually get it. "You remembered!"

He nodded, opening up the bracelet and putting it on me. "Of course I did. It's the ultimate symbol of everlasting and inseparable love, which I think we have."

"I heard about those!" Rosita said. "It's similar to a chastity belt and can't be taken off unless with a lock."

"That's right, Rosita." Gareth smiled as the bracelet locked with a 'click' from the screwdriver. "And I don't plan on taking it off any time soon."

I looked down on the bracelet, the gemstones twinkling in the light, making me think of a starry eve, and I could feel myself wanting to burst from all the love I was feeling. "Thank you so much, my sun and stars." I tugged on Gareth's blazer, pulling him to my level for a kiss, semi-ignoring some comment Albert was making about being locked down. We had just started calling each other "moon of my life" and "my sun and stars", it was a _Game of Thrones_ thing, and I figured it was fitting. He is my sun and stars, and I wouldn't want it any other way.

**_Terminus, 12:30 am_ **

**_GARETH_ **

**_"I'd like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony!"_ **

Melody was laughing as her and Aaron were falling all over themselves to the (RED) remix of "I Lived" by One Republic, Stefon and Eric joining them.

"This is the life, dude!" Martin said, swigging back a beer.

"Don't I know it!" I shouted over the blaring music.

After dinner, we enjoyed the outstanding acrobats in _LOVE._ This was my first time seeing a Cirque du Soelil show, and I was glad that this is the one we went with, it was beyond incredible and everybody seemed to agree. We were finally at Terminus, the zombie apocalypse themed nightclub, with the exception of Rick, Lori, Sasha, and Bob, who retired for the evening. Lori was tired and Bob's leg was hurting him from an injury he sustained overseas, plus I'm sure he and Sasha wanted to take advantage of the alone time they so seldom have.

It kind of reminded me of an abandoned train station with actual train tracks on the first floor, but it ended there. There was vibrant graffiti on semi-torn walls, people dancing in cages, and the workers either had tattered army clothes on with grease and mud smeared on them or they looked like a Tom Savini creation, yet the V.I.P. area was just like any other club's with its leather furniture and overpriced bottle service.

"We better enjoy while we can, dude! It'll only be a matter of time before Melody ties you down for good." Albert laughed, and I couldn't help but be confused.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean, Al?"

"You're totally pussy whipped, Gareth! Seriously, you do everything for Melody."

I rolled my eyes at his immaturity. "Of course you would say that and I am not! It's called "being in a relationship". You should try it sometime."

"I'll pass for now!"

**_"Don't fuck with my love_ **

**_That heart is so cold_ **

**_All over my own_ **

**_I don't wanna know that babe_ **

**_Don't fuck with my love_ **

**_I told her, she knows_ **

**_Take aim and reload_ **

**_I don't wanna know that babe"_ **

Melody was singing along to the Rick Ross remix of Ed Sheeran's "Don't", having ditched the boa, sash and tiara. Rosita and Maggie had her sandwiched, grinding up on either side. She looked over with a smile, breaking away from the girls and sat on my lap.

"Have I been a good girl tonight?" She shouted over the music, pulling the bottom of her dress down.

I wrapped my arm around her waist, failing miserable to conceal the cocky smirk. "I don't know, that lap dance in the limo earlier says otherwise!" On the way to the club we were stuck in traffic, so Melody had Noah play "Dirrty" by Christina Aguilera and she full on gave me a lap dance, which is something she hasn't really done before, but I wasn't complaining.

"No, a good girlfriend does that for her man!"

"Hell yes. Now tell Albert that."

She turned around and leaned over. "I'm a good girlfriend, Barney Stinson!" Melody looked back at me, giggling madly. I had seen her pretty tipsy before, but after drinking since ten something in the morning and throughout the day and night, Melody was drunk now. It hardly showed though, she was composing herself well.

"I believe you! We're gonna try our luck at the bar!" Albert said as he and Martin got up, leaving the two of us by ourselves.

"Are you having fun?"

"Am I having fun?! I'm having the time of my life! Thank you so much, Gareth!"

"Of course, beautiful."

She stood up, putting her hands on my shoulders and swaying her body to the music. "Don't fall asleep when we get back, I am going to rock your world, suck you off and fuck your brains out silly." Melody grabbed me by the lapels of my blazer, colliding her lips on mine, pushing me up against the couch. We were having a pretty heavy make out session until I felt one of Melody's arms being tugged on.

"Melody! Melody!"

We separated to see Beth standing there. Like Melody, she had also gotten drunk, which surprised me since she's kind of timid and told me she's never tried alcohol before, but you only live once, so make the most of it.

"What's going on, Beth, or should I say "Emily Kinney"?"

"Very funny. I gotta pee and I don't want to go by myself, these zombies are freaking me out."

"I'll go with you." Melody got off my lap, looking down on me. "I'll be right back, don't go anywhere, sexy fuck." She licked my face before Beth tugged on her arm again.

"Hurry back, you naughty girl." I smacked her ass when she turned around. As the two of them were leaving, Alex came rushing up to me.

"Gareth, I got them!"

"Got what?"

"The Thizz!" He scoffed at my questioning glance. "Urgh, you're such a square! You know, Scooby Snacks, Disco Biscuits? MDMA!"

"Are you talking about ecstasy?"

He nodded. "Finally he gets it! Yes, I am and this is supposed to be some pure top notch shit, Gare. We have to try it."

I shook my head. "No way, Alex. I don't do that sort of thing anymore. I've got a kid, remember?" While I smoke pot from time to time and have tried mushrooms and LSD, the latter being at Burning Man last year, it was an experimental phase that I had gotten over.

"Who is miles away! Live a little!"

"Did I hear you say you have Dancing Shoes?" Aaron asked as he walked up, Glenn and Noah behind him, to which Alex nodded.

"Yep, I do! You guys want in?"

"Sure."

"I'm game."

"I've always wanted to try it." Glenn said, which surprised me.

"Really?"

"Yeah, I can't always be a nerd, bro. I gotta break free."

"YES! Glenn knows what he's talking about. Waitress!" Alex snapped his fingers. "Five shots of your best rum!" He turned back to us. "Guys, we gotta get Gareth to do this."

"I said no and that's final."

"Gareth, don't be such a party pooper!" Aaron nudged my arm. "I've tried it plenty of times and it's always been a positive experience."

Noah nodded. "I tried it at a rave once, early on in my DJ days. There weren't any problems."

"See? I'm right, Gareth. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, so take your pants off and party!"

Unfortunately, he had a point. Even Glenn wanted to try it and I was all about trying new things. I had survived LSD, which is just as dangerous, E should be a cake walk, right?

"Ugh, fine, I'll do it."

"Woo Hoo!" Alex jumped up, almost knocking into the waitress with the shots. "Thanks, hotness. What time are you off?" All the waitress did was scoff and walk away. "Come back! I have the Playboy suite at The Plams!" He shook his head when she didn't return. "Ahh, fuck her. I've got Molly."

"Are you sure about this?" I double checked, to which Alex nodded, passing shots and tablets to me, Glenn, Noah and Aaron.

"Yes, I'm sure. You are not backing out of this."

I looked down on the tablet, which was pink with x's for eyes and a smiley face on it similar to the one on Blink-182's last album, which heavily resembled Nirvana's.

"Well, here goes nothing."

We simultaneously dropped the tablets in our shots, watching them fizzle and dissolve. I was still a little apprehensive, but I tried to shake it off the best I could.

"To Vegas!"

"To Vegas!"

We all clinked our glasses together before instantaneously throwing our heads back, downing the shot. It was probably the worst thing I've ever tasted, and this had better be worth it.

Alex slammed his glass on the table before standing up on a leather ottoman that looked over the dance floor, pumping his hands in the air and shouting "I'M KING OF THE WORLD!". I knew right then and there it was going to be a very long night…

**_MELODY_ **

"Hey, did I tell you who messaged me today? Spencer. Remember him?"

Beth gasped while we pushed our way into the overcrowded bathroom. "Spencer, as in Spencer Monroe? Son of your dad's opponent in the latest election?"

"Yep. You take the free stall."

"What did he say?" She asked through the stall as I sat down on a couch in the bathroom lounge.

"Not much, just "Happy Birthday" and that he was thinking of me, then he asked if I was going to the Red Cross ball."

I had known Spencer Monroe and his brother Aiden almost as long as I had known Beth. Even though they were six and four years older, respectively, they still played with me all the time back when they lived down the street. Aiden was even my first kiss, they were both my childhood crushes.

When my dad said he wanted to pair me off, I was hoping that it would be with Aiden, but it was unfortunately Ben, and before I could change his mind the Monroes moved to Petaluma in Northern California. About three years ago, I ran into Spencer at a party while he was home for the summer from NYU, where he told me that he and his family had moved back to Beverly Hills because his mom Deanna was preparing to run for California Governor. We had a bit of a summer fling, which I ended when he went back to New York in the fall.

"You told him you have a boyfriend, right?"

"Actually, I haven't even replied yet. If he asked me if I'm going to the ball, that means he's more than likely going as well. It'll be weird seeing him after all this time, especially Aiden." Even now, hearing the name still made my heart stop for a second, but it was something I was going to have to get used to, because the name "Aiden" would never leave my life. At the same time, I couldn't help but laugh over the irony of having known two Aidens.

"Are you going to tell Gareth?" Beth exited the stall, but before I could make my way over, some bitch pushed past me.

"No, there's not really a reason to. It's just a message and it was pretty tame, we're not having an affair. Spencer and Aiden are like brothers to me."

"Oh, yeah, brothers that you've kissed."

"Shut up." I said with a smirk. "That's part of my past. Besides, nothing further transpired with them for a reason, I was meant for Gareth. He is mine as I am his, I would never want to mess things up. Beth, he's just the sweetest guy. Like every time I blow him, he always gives me this look like "Oh my God, I can't believe she's blowing me." and I love how cute he looks in his glasses!"

Beth giggled as she washing her hands. "Is it always sex sex sex with you two?"

"No, but it's pretty fantastic! Last week we did it for a full day! I'm just now starting to get the feeling back in my legs again!"

"Melody!" Even though Beth had considerably come out of her shell and was even drunk right now, she still had moments of reservation, which made her very down to earth.

"What? I'm sorry but after sleeping with a stoner, a guy who had no idea what he was doing, and a complete asshole, I want to revel in the fact that I now have an amazing sex life. Of course it isn't always sex sex sex. Gareth is my fantasy nerd and I love him so much. Whenever I think about us together, I just wanna start laughing my head off because I'm so lucky and happy!"

She smiled. "Well, you know how happy I am for you both. I know you guys will be together forever."

"Me too."

"Do you want me to wait for you until another stall opens?"

I shook my head. "No, I'll just wait here. You go back and I'll meet you, ok? I won't be long."

"Ok, no problem."

**_A FEW MINUTES LATER_ **

On my way back to the V.I.P. lounge, I couldn't stop thinking about how much fun I was having and how fortunate I was for all the things in my life. Wonderful family, amazing friends, incredible boyfriend. Looks, brains, talent, kindness. Things that I had yearned years for I finally had and I wanted it to stay like this forever.

I was so lost in thought that I wasn't watching where I was going, which is how somebody crashed into and sent me almost tripping onto one of the couches.

"Oomph!"

"Hey there, thanks for dropping in to say hello."

I looked up to see I had landed on some guy's lap. He looked like he was Alex's age with thick brown tousled hair, clear light green eyes, and a pearly white, perfectly straight smile.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I was on my way back to the V.I.P. area from the restroom and somebody sent me flying."

"Ha, well, it was getting pretty dull until you showed up. V.I.P., huh? Looks like somebody's got the hookups."

"Kind of, it's my 21st birthday so we're going all out."

"Ah, happy birthday! In that case, you have to let me buy you a drink."

"Thank you, that's so nice, but I really should be getting back-"

"One drink. No harm no foul, right?" He smiled up at me, rubbing my arm, and I could feel my heart beat increasing. It had been so long since I had felt this way towards a guy, not since I met Gareth. There was something about him that was so intriguing that I felt almost hypnotized.

"Alright, you have me convinced." I shrugged. One little drink wouldn't hurt, right?

"Cool. Hey," He flagged down a nearby waiter, shaking his beer bottle. "I'll have another Bud and what about you, 21 Guns?"

"Khalua and Cream for me, please." I turned to face him as the waiter walked off and extended my hand forward. "I'm Melody, by the way."

"My birth name is Jake, but I go by "Crash". Nice to meet you." He smiled as we shook hands.

"Likewise. So what are you doing here all by yourself?"

"I'm here for my buddy B.J.'s bachelor party, he's getting hitched on Sunday! Anthony, Hap, and Eddie are trying to pick up on chicks." He nodded his head over at three guys dancing aggressively with girls around my age.

"Sounds like a blast!"

We took our drinks once the waiter brought them to us, when Crash raised his bottle. "Cheers, to new friends."

"To new friends."

We clinked glasses and sipped our drinks before he whipped out his phone. "Gotta get a pix up on Instagram to commemorate this moment. Smile."

"Ha, gotcha." I leaned in and smiled as he wrapped his arm around me, both of us somewhat oblivious to the fact that I was still sitting on his lap.

**_OH MY GOD! WHAT IS EVERYBODY THINKING?! Reviews are encouraged, so spread the word! :)_ **


	37. Sin City, Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Molly kicks in for the boys, causing Gareth's jealousies to unleash and be taken out on Melody quite aggressively in the bedroom, almost revealing a big secret in the process.

**Hi everybody! Interesting reaction to Crash! Lol. Again, I hope nobody is mad at Garody in this chapter, their true colors come out just a bit! I also went on a route writing wise that I hadn't before, so don't be hating too much on me!**

**_WARNING: VERY STRONG SEXUAL CONTENT!_ **

**_Chapter Thirty Seven: Sin City Part Two_ **

**_TWENTY MINUTES LATER_ **

**_GARETH_ **

"Beth, where's Melody? She's been gone for a half hour, I thought she was with you?"

Beth shook her head. "No, she said she'd meet me back here. Maybe she got lost or something." We were interrupted when Maggie leaned her head in and took a selfie with Beth.

"I love it, it's going to look so cute!"

"Have you tried texting her?" Beth asked, to which I nodded.

"Text, call, you name it. This is unlike her."

"Like I said, maybe she got lost, this place is huge!"

"Hey, look." Maggie nudged us both to look at her phone. "Who is that?" When she pointed at the screen, I went into a state of shock and denial over what I saw.

""CrashBridges #TerminusLasVegas officially became the best place to be in a zombie apocalypse thanks to LyricalMelody. Happy 21st Birthday! #newfriends #bachelorparty #Vegas #21 #hotgirls".

The three of us stared at the picture of Melody- Melody Silverstone-Blake, MY girlfriend Melody- sitting on some random guy's lap who had his arm wrapped around her, the two of them looked rather cozy together. I could feel myself break out in a cold sweat and my heartbeat accelerating, my emotions in a game of pong, ranging from panic to practically apoplectic, unsure if it was entirely from the shots. Lucky for me, I recognized the couch and the "Never Again" "Never Trust" "We First, Always" signs from the first level lounge.

"I know where she is." As I turned around, I felt a pair of hands gripping onto my arm, turning out to be Beth, who had a frantic expression on her face.

"Gareth, please, whatever you do, don't get mad at her! We've had a lot to drink tonight and it's just a picture, I'm sure nothing's happened, so please don't explode!"

She looked at me with sad eyes, I could tell right away she was one of those overly emotional people when she drinks, but I felt my anger subside a little. I nodded, patting her shoulder.

"You have my word, I just want to find her and figure out what's going on."

**_FIVE MINUTES LATER_ **

"Oh, my gosh, Ve Neil is an artistic genius! They broke the mold when they made her.  _Edward Scissorhands_ ,  _Mrs. Doubtfire_ ,  _POTC_? She's incredible! I loved the eyes when Jack Sparrow was the Cannibal King in  _Dead Man's Chest_!"

"Don't forget about Rick Baker, either.  _Men in Black_  and  _Wolfman_  are amongst my favorite works of his."

"He's astounding! It's so cool how he and Eddie Murphy always work together for those multiple character movies, the makeup is so flawless I practically forget it's still the same actor!"

I walked up to see Melody still with the guy from the picture, the two of them engrossed in conversation with drinks in their hands. I didn't know what to do, but I felt myself becoming a bit angry. Why was  _MY_  girlfriend sitting on a total stranger's lap?! Not only that, but I just remembered about her panties in my pocket.

**_Looks like my little dare is now biting me in the ass big time, because my girlfriend is sitting on a stranger's lap not wearing any underwear and there's a very good chance he'll be able to catch a glimpse up her dress._ **

No matter how much I was wanting to explode, I decided to play it cool.

"Melody."

She looked over and beamed. "Gareth!" Melody practically staggered in the short distance to me, perhaps she had had a little too much to drink tonight. "Hi sweetie." She put her hands on my shoulders and kissed me repeatedly on the cheek, unaware of the stiffness in my demeanor.

"You've been gone for a while."

"I know, I'm sorry. I was on my way back but somebody bumped into me and I stumbled. Then I met Crash and he insisted on buying me a drink for my birthday."

"Hey there, you must be Boom Clap." He stood up and extended his hand out to me.

"What's he talking about?"

"That's one of my songs for you. "Boom! Clap! The sound in my heart the beat goes on and on and on and on and!"" Melody kept giggling like a madwoman, for some reason she found all of this funny.

"Gareth Mandel." I shook his hand, even though I really didn't want to.

"Jake, but I go by Crash. Nice to meet you."

"Crash is a fellow makeup artist, he actually won this season of  _FaceOff_  and is going to be working on a prequel to  _The Hunger Games_!"

**_Great, that's just what we need, more unnecessary prequels and sequels._ **

"That's pretty cool."

He shrugged with a laughing smile. "It definitely got my foot in the door, that's for sure. I've heard a lot of great things, Gareth Mandel. You have yourself one hell of a girl."

I nodded. "Yes, I sure do, my girl is one of a kind." I wrapped my arm tightly around Melody's waist, staking my claim. "It was nice meeting you, but we better-"

"So I'll see you guys in about a half hour, right? If there's any problems, have the front desk call me and I'll send our butler Omid down to fetch you."

"Alright, good deal. See you in a while."

"Bye."

I gave Melody a confused look as soon as Crash walked away. "What's he talking about, Meme?"

She grabbed my hand, leading me back to the V.I.P. lounge. "We're having an after party, it's going to be so much fun!"

I winced and shook my head. "I don't know, it's late and I wanted us to be alone, what you said you would do to me earlier." Looking down on her hot little body got me both aroused and agitated. Aroused because of the sexy curves in all the right places, but agitated because this Crash character wasn't going away any time sooner.

"Hotness, it's only 1 in the morning! We're in Vegas, the city to party, and we need to live it up! There will be plenty of time for some good ole sucky sucky fucky fucky action, I promise! Just do this for me, ok?"

While I wasn't too thrilled over the idea of her and Crash hanging out further, at least I would actually be there, so it qualmed my nerves a little bit. Perhaps the ecstasy was kicking in. "Alright, alright, we'll do it."

**_FORTY FIVE MINUTES LATER, BACK AT THE VILLA_ **

"What were we laughing about?"

"I have no idea, man!"

Glenn and Alex had been on the floor laughing for the past twenty minutes and kept it up.

"Wait! I remember! I used to wear my Domino's hat even when I wasn't working. I was attached to that thing. I remember one day Maggie was pissed at me and she put an egg in and smashed it on my head!" Glenn started guffawing again, especially so when Alex laughed so hard that Dr. Pepper came shooting out of his nose.

The ecstasy has definitely kicked in, it was more like being drunk and sedated at the same time, I think vacillating would be the proper word, and we were all staying hydrated. Most of the girls had gone to bed except Melody, Tara and Maggie, we were all hanging out in the lounge area of the villa but Melody was still talking with Crash, which was starting to annoy me while his stupid friends made themselves comfortable. I was so lost in thought that I almost didn't notice that Aaron was blowing in my ear.

"You alright, buddy?" I asked, briefly turning around to see Aaron had a sheepish grin on his face. Everything seemed in super slow motion.

"Yes, it's fine. I was just admiring your ears."

"My ears?" We both started laughing to the point where my eyes stung with tears. "This is so weird, I can feel every fiber in my body, I just wanna dance on the ceiling and paint the world a rainbow, then there would be no more fighting. Have you ever wondered what a human leg would taste like? It's probably much better than we think it is."

Aaron threw his head back and laughed. "It's official, Gareth Mandel is high and apparently a cannibal?"

"Not even close on the latter. What were you saying about my ears?"

"You have such cute ears, they're proportional to the rest of your head. The ears are an androgynous zone."

"Uh, thanks?"

"Not to mention your eyes, they're green AND brown, it's totally tubular!" Aaron started stroking my face with one hand and running his fingers through my hair with the other, watching me with dilated pupils. Even though I was feeling relaxed, I was starting to become a little uncomfortable.

"Listen, Aaron-"

Before I could finish my sentence, Aaron put both hands on my face and kissed me passionately. I screamed in his mouth in shock, stuck in that halfway stage between normalcy and tripping balls, almost frozen, but unfrozen enough to shove him away.

"Aaron! What the hell?!" This was starting to become way too much for me.

"Haven't you ever been curious, Gareth?" He wiggled his eyebrows.

"No, I haven't." While this wasn't the first time a guy had hit on me, it was the first time one had succeeded in kissing me, and it was all sorts of wrong.

"Well, I have. All I or Eric or Stefon have been hearing from Melody is all about your raging salmon."

"My what?" Everything he was saying seemed to echo and his appearance multiplied into three forms. As Aaron was about to reply, Noah walked up in his Jamaican colored board shorts and a dread locked wig that he sent Omid out to get.

"Ay, homeboys!" He said in a Jamican accent before singing. "Don't worry about a thing because every little thing is gonna be alright!" Noah, or Bob Marley at this moment, laughed as he did The Worm before walking out on his hands. Aaron cleared his throat, resuming our conversation.

"You know, your one-eyed trouser snake, I know you're aware of what I'm saying. It's "Gareth is so amazing in bed." or "Gareth is the best lover I've ever had" or "I love it when Gareth chokes me with his sausage."

"WHAT?! SHE SAID THAT?! MEL-"

Aaron clasped his hand over my mouth, shushing me. "Keep it down! I put my own variation on that last one. Naturally, you can't blame me for being curious. There's nothing to worry about, the three of us are polyamorous."

I pushed his hand off. "I'm sorry, Aaron. You're not a bad looking guy, you've kind of got an L.L. Bean meets Matthew McConaughey vibe, but I don't play for that team. I have Melody." The goofiest grin spread across my face as I started thinking about her. There was so much that I loved. How kind and thoughtful she is, her smile, her stunning eyes, her beautiful breasts, the way she's not afraid to be herself, or especially how she feels in my arms. "Melody, Melody, Melody. I have her." I began laughing thinking about how wonderful she is. "She's my girl, my princess queen. I'm gonna marry her and take care of her and all the kids we're gonna have. I love her."

Aaron nodded, patting me on the shoulder. "I know, Gareth. It's about time she found herself a good man, which you definitely are."

I was crazy for this girl and there wasn't going to be a damn thing to come between us.

" _Animaniacs_? I was obsessed with them when I was a kid! It's how I learned the state capitals!"

I looked over to see Melody holding onto Crash's wrist, checking out the tattoos on the inside of his forearm. It seemed innocent until he asked her if she wanted to see the rest. She nodded with a smile. "Hell yes! Take your shirt off!"

Even though I knew nothing would happen, the lion of jealousy roared within me and I couldn't just stand back, watching this scene idly. My feet moved faster than my mind, practically storming over. Melody heard me approach and smiled.

"Hot Lips, check out Crash's ink! They're so eclectic, he's got the whole  _Tiny Toons_  cast on-"

I grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her away before she could finish speaking. Who knew where this was about to go, but I had to put a stop to it and let my feelings be known.

"Gareth, what's the matter with you?" She asked as I flung us in the master suite and locked the door. Cursing myself for being less persistent about Crash not joining the after party, my head was swimming with insecurities.

**_He was taking off his shirt, it'll only be a matter of time before he takes off pants and tries to coax Melody out of hers._ **

"What's the matter with me is that you're hanging all over that guy when you're already spoken for!"

"Huh? What are you talking about? I'm not hanging all over him!"

"Yes, you are! You two looked pretty cozy when I found you sitting on his lap at Terminus, not to mention the Instagram picture, and you've been talking to him since we got back here. What's so special about him? His eyes, his smile, or his head to toe body art? If you wanted a rock star in the making, tell me now and I'll unlock that damn bracelet I just gave you so you can fuck who you want!" Without thinking, I cleared the dresser countertop in one fell swoop, crashing Melody's music box to the floor, her jewelry strewn everywhere.

She flinched a little but didn't seem too concerned as she placed a gentle hand on my arm, turning me to face her. "Honey, please calm down. I have never seen you this exasperated before, what is going on? It has to be more than Crash and I don't get why you're so jealous, there's nothing to worry about. Are you on something?"

"No, I won't calm down!" I flung her hand off of me and started pacing around the room, annoyed with how nonchalant her demeanor was. "I worry about you, I really do... Sometimes you're this clueless little puppy that has no idea what's going on around you!"

"What are you talking about?"

"I see the way men look at you, Melody. Dave the pizza guy from movie night, Shane at the Monster Mash Bash, even Rick! Your own brother-in-law! No wonder he paid me to take you out!"

It took a moment for me to realize what I had said and I could have thrown myself out the window. Melody appeared in shock, trying to find something to say.

"Wait, what?"

I shook my head, knowing I had to divert this quickly before everything came out and she exploded. "I said it's sick, he's known you since you were an infant and he's got a hard on for you! How Lori doesn't say anything is a mystery to me, perhaps she doesn't notice. You don't see it, but we all do. I don't know if you're unaware or choose to ignore it, but your mannerisms draw men to you. Overall, your bubbly and sweet personality makes you unintentionally flirtatious. That little sashay in your walk or when your voice gets sugary Minnie Mouse or how your tits are so huge they press up against every guy you hug even if you don't mean to. It's like that with them and it's exactly like that with Crash, too."

Without even thinking, I grabbed her face, squishing her cheeks in my trembling hands, causing her face to shake slightly. "Melody, don't you realize how much you mean to me? I knew that I wanted to be with you since the moment we met, that I had to have you, all Crash wants to do is fuck you and leave!"

"Gareth, you're squeezing my face! Nothing happened!"

"I fucking love you! Next to Autumn Montana, you are my everything. I'd sooner die than lose you." Laughing taunts rang throughout my ears, saying how I wasn't good enough, that Melody was too good to be true and that she'd do exactly what Theresa did while a more soothing voice tried to convince me otherwise. The earlier love and euphoria had been overshadowed by intense accusations and paranoia, complete with hot flashes and a spinning room.

She shook her head, putting her hands on my shoulders, and I could have sworn a tiny trail of tears was streaming down her face. "You never have to worry about losing me. How could you even think that?" Melody ran her fingers through the bottom of my hair, clearly upset by my rage. "No other man has done for me what you have, not even my father, and no man probably ever will, either. You're my guy and I'd never let anything come between us, I promise you."

"I can't lose you... I'm not going to." I pulled her in, crashing our lips together in a brusque kiss, my hands groping all over her body. My mind was still a blur, but I did hear that sex on E is supposed to be out of this world, except hearing and experimenting are two totally different things.

Pushing Melody back on the bed, I hiked that sexy little black dress up and dived between her legs. Her moans cut off any inquiries she had as I devoured her womanhood, this was perhaps where me taking her panties paid off, as well as having worn my vibrating barbell. Licking circles around her lips, flicking her clit ever so lightly, sucking it in between my teeth while my tongue and fingers swirled inside her, turning myself into a ravenous animal as I lapped up her honey-vanilla flavor.

Melody quivered above me, unable to keep still, her legs tightening around my neck as she grabbed my hair to pull me in closer, but I wasn't going to let her have any control. Without my mouth leaving her sweet spot, I managed to maneuver us so I was fully laying down on the bed with Melody sitting on my face. I had been a little reluctant to ever try this position since it was how I walked in on Theresa and Sam, but I wanted her entire taste, and Melody's sighs of pleasure were a great indicator that she enjoyed it as well. Besides, it was as good of time as any to get her out of her comfort zone for what I was about to do next.

"Get me out, now." I had never been this demanding, especially in bed, but it felt almost right in a sick way. I began kissing up her pelvis as Melody reached behind her, unbuckling my belt and unzipping my pants. Once she pulled my erection out of my boxer briefs, I moved her body until I was inside her at full salute. My hands secured on her waist, she tried to ride me, but I wouldn't allow it.

"Come on, baby. Be a good girl and give Daddy what he wants. Let me have my way with you."

"Wait, what?" She looked down on me with a confused expression. "Did you just-"

I thrust upward, causing her to let out a loud gasp and bite her lip. It had been done as a diversion tactic, I was feeling idiotic for that "Daddy" comment, but she seemed to be enjoying this. She synchronized the movements with my thrusts as much as I would allow her, both of us wholly aroused. Pulling down the front of her dress, I massaged her huge boobs, teasing her nipples with my fingers and tongue as she clawed at my chest.

"Babe, I think I'm gonna cum. I'm gonna cum on your huge cock!" Melody pushed me down, grinding on me faster, her dress scrunched up, our tongues crossing madly in the others mouth. I looked up in the mirror on the ceiling, wanting to smirk with pride over the whole scene. If somebody told me ten years ago that a gorgeous almost naked hottie would be riding me, I'd tell them they were lying. With Mia, it hadn't been emotional and with Theresa what started out great had all turned out to be a lie, but what Melody and I had was real.

Everything outside that door was irrelevant, I couldn't give a fuck if Alex was out there making an ass out of himself or what the hell happened to Crash and his stupid friends. What I would give to knock that guy's lights out, but shouldn't I be annoyed with both of them? There was obviously a mutual attraction, but then again, there was something Melody wanted to give me that I knew no other man had. Feeling her tighten, I pulled away and looked up, her cheeks rosy red and her breathing ragged, anxious to continue and release.

"Melody, you know that thing you were suggesting? I want to do it."

"What? You mean-"

"Yeah, I do." I flipped her over on all fours and pulled the dress all the way off until she was fully naked, then grabbed a bottle of Astroglide from the nightstand drawer (one of the luxuries of being in the Playboy Sky Villa), coating my member to slicked perfection. "You still want to, right?"

"Yes, Gareth. I love you and you're supposed to do that with somebody you love. It's ok, go for it."

"I'll stop if you want me to, if it gets to be too much." I was proud of myself that despite being under the influence and previously ardent that I still was considerate. Kissing my way from her neck down her spine, I applied some lube on her sphincter before slowly entering, my hands on Melody's hips to secure myself.

The tightness of her anal ring around the head of my dick was enough for me to lose my breath and my eyes cross, along with Melody screeching, burying her head in the pillows.

"Oh, my gosh! They never said it would feel like this."

I rubbed circles on the small of her back to relax her. "Do you-"

"No, keep going. I want this." She squirmed a little under my touch, trying to adjust to this sacred invasion of her virgin hole, but she didn't seem to protest, either.

This wasn't the first time I had done anal sex. Mia, my master of sex Christina Hendricks look-alike that inspired me to learn all the ways of being a properly skilled lover, had me bend her over the Starbucks counter during our one night stand. It had never even been brought up with Theresa. The only difference was that unlike my Melody, Mia had done it before.

I finished sliding the rest of my length inside, her whines becoming soft mewls. "Any better?"

After a few minutes, Melody had adjusted, having slowly backed up on me until she was stretched out. "I think I kind of like this. You can go a little faster if you want, just be gentle."

"I can, huh?" Grinning deviously, I began pumping myself at a vigorous pace, squeezing her butt. "God, I love your fucking ass... Such a sweet, tight, juicy little ass... And it's all mine, right?"

"Of course."

**_Crash doesn't have this, does he? She's mine._ **

"You've been a very naughty girl, haven't you?" I gripped her hips roughly, slamming myself into her as hard as I could, smiling in triumph as she vibrated against me. This is how a king should ride his queen, reminding her of where the force and power lied. I looked out the window to see Crash by the pool talking to Tara. When he looked up, I shot him my wicked smirk, knowing he could see the whole scene.

**_MELODY_ **

"Yes, I have. I'm so sorry, Gareth." I felt bad that I had been neglectful of Gareth and his feelings, it was so unlike me. Maybe I shouldn't have had so much to drink, it definitely impaired my judgment. Even though Crash is gorgeous and there was some kind of spark between us, it was nothing compared to what Gareth and I have.

"Yeah? How sorry?" He began spanking me in sync with his grinds, harder than he ever had, which only made me all the more turned on.

"So sorry. I never meant to upset you." This was my first time doing anal sex, not like I haven't been begged to before. If Randall and Shane knew about this now, they'd probably die of shock, those two in particular having endlessly pestered me into doing it but I wouldn't let up. I was hoping child birth wouldn't be this painful, but the original agony subsided little by little, filling me with an odd yet newfound pleasure instead. He had taken any innocence I had left, but I wanted to give him this intimate gift.

With a twist of my hair, Gareth pulled me back on my heels against him, I was able to feel the outline of his entire cock at this angle, making me gasp wordlessly. "I forgive you. Tell me how you're nobody else's." Thrusting inside me and his lips on my shoulder, his right thumb began to rub my clit in circles while he inserted three fingers in me, the other hand doing the impossible task of grabbing both breasts simultaneously.

"I'm nobody else's. I told you, I am yours as you are mine."

"That's a good girl. Tell me everything I want to hear." His pace was a bit faster than I would have liked but I found myself powerless to his advances and meeting his thrusts, my skin making contact with his jeans. Gareth had always been such a sensual and tender lover that his sudden change up was quite surprising. It was obviously brought about by his jealousy, which I didn't know whether to be concerned over or if it was incredibly hot, but Gareth was definitely not himself.

"You're the best I've ever had, nobody has ever made me feel this good nor will they. Ahh! I love the way you fuck me, Gareth." I couldn't believe that now I was the one picking up the pace, bouncing on him faster. Maybe I was still drunk, but the current rush I was feeling was one I didn't want to end. My whole body was feverish, my limbs tensing up, submitting myself to the typhoon of pleasure.

"You're my little sex kitten, Melody. I've made love to you before, but I've never fucked you like this, not even on Halloween. You turn me on so much that I get hard looking at you from across the room. Hell, I get turned on when you're not even  _in_  the room." He tilted my head back, kissing me with such passion as he drove himself into me further, the combination of his cock and fingers had me on the verge of desire driven insanity.

"Go faster, Gareth. Fuck me to the moon and back!"

Gareth pulled out, leaning into my ear. "Honey pie, I'm gonna fuck you for the rest of our lives whenever I want to." Without any warning, he swiftly slid his fingers and shaft inside me instantaneously, deeper than I've ever been penetrated.

**_"OH, MY GOD!"_ **

All I could hear was bells ringing and sirens going off when I let out a scream so loud that I was worried the window glass would shatter. My body shuddered uncontrollably as Gareth pounded into me, his orgasm joining mine. It seemed to go on forever, a paso doble danced with fiery lust and yet still exuded heart through its passion. While a part of me did feel a bit dirty, I also felt mature. My whole relationship with Gareth had been about me learning to take a chance with things and open up more.

Once we came down from the orgasmic rush, I collapsed against the satin pillows, providing a cool sensation to my burning skin. Through heavy eyelids, I looked up to see Gareth standing over me, still dressed but licking his fingers that had been inside me mere seconds before.

"Did you like that, Melody?"

I nodded the best I could, my energy suddenly zapped. "Mmhmph. I wanna feel you against me with nothing separating us. Come with me, Gareth."

He gave me a small smile as he fully undressed, turning the lights off and crawling into bed, tucking the satin sheets in before wrapping his arms around my waist, pulling us close together. I could have sworn he was saying something, but once I was in his embrace, I instantly fell asleep, on my way to dream of what's next to come for our future.

**_4:50 am_ **

**_GARETH_ **

I woke up to a blasting headache and my tinnitus (which I had obtained when a speaker dropped from the ceiling during the Summer 2000 community theater production of  _Oliver!_ ) was exceptionally loud, taking a full moment of ear scratching to stop. It was quiet, everybody must be asleep, the brightness from the strip being the room's only light. My eyes stung from my throbbing head, I snatched my boxer briefs and button up shirt to grab some ibuprofen and water, I also had horrible cotton mouth, but I couldn't remember much else. The last thing I could recall was taking the ecstasy and meeting Crash, everything afterwards seemed fuzzy. On my way back from the bathroom, I stepped on something sharp.

"Damn it!" I hissed through clenched teeth, looking down to see Melody's music box on the floor, her jewelry strewn all over the carpet, which was how I remembered what happened. Alex and Glenn laughing their heads off, Noah as Bob Marley, Aaron kissing me, me getting paranoid over Crash taking his shirt off, which led to me lashing out at Melody, complete with yelling and taking her anal virginity. I was ashamed that it made me aroused, the feeling of being inside her glorious ass, but had it been done out of love or almost vengeance?

Melody was sleeping soundly when I got into bed, but the sight of what I had done left me in shock as I looked her over. There were bruises on her hips and her butt still fleshing out from where I had spanked her. It was enough to make me teary eyed. How could I have treated my angel like this? All she had done was talk to Crash and this is how I reacted? Sitting down on the bed, I lightly shook Melody. "Melody, wake up, sweetheart."

"Hmm?" She rolled over and opened her eyes to face me, but I could tell she was still half asleep. "Gareth? What's wrong, what time is it? Ow." Melody buried her face in the pillow. "My whole lower body hurts."

"Here, take this." I handed her the ibuprofen and the water bottle that I had brought back from the bathroom. "It's almost five."

"Are you ok?" She looked up at me, her eyes so doe-like and innocent in that moment, and it killed me that I had been such a selfish asshole. I brought her head into my lap, stroking her hair while she clutched the sheets to her body.

"No, I'm not. I completely overreacted last night to Crash and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry that I yelled at you and said all those horrible things, and then the way I manhandled you in bed. Can you forgive me? I wasn't trying to hurt you, I was high on E."

Melody blinked in confusion. "Wait, what? You weren't just drunk?"

I shook my head. "No. Alex scored some MDMA and him, me, Aaron, Glenn and Noah all took it in a shot at Terminus."

"I knew you were on something! Why didn't you tell me? What made you do it?"

"I don't know, I was curious I suppose. And then Aaron full on kissed me-"

"Wait what? Aaron kissed you? Did you enjoy it?"

If I wasn't so upset, I would have laughed. "No, I didn't enjoy it, it creeped me out. He's a good guy and all, but I don't take dips in the man pond."

"That's good to know. I should be angrier at you, this could have ended really badly, I guess I'm just glad you're ok. We've been together for over three months and I've never seen you get that angry, I didn't know what was going to happen next. At the same time, when you were doing it in bed, it was a real turn on." She kissed the scratch marks she had made on my chest earlier, sitting in my lap.

"Well, I promise to just keep it to the bedroom and on a very sporadic basis. I had no right to react that way, I guess you can say I'm paranoid and scarred from what Theresa did. I didn't mean to scare you, and I hope you know I would never let things get to a dangerous level."

"I understand, but there's ways to discuss things without flipping out and I should seriously take my own advice. You've seen me at my worst. I don't want you to feel like you can't tell me when you're feeling jealous or insecure. I'm not perfect and neither are you, we all have our faults, but all I've ever asked of you is to not hide anything." Melody put her hands on the back of my neck, her fingers combing the bottom of my hair. "I probably should be more conscientious of how I interact with other men, because it is unintentional. Crash is cool, but he's not you. After the pool party later, I'll probably never see him again."

"I know, and I won't hold back on something like that again, I promise. I wasn't trying to sound so harsh." I held my girlfriend tightly, inhaling her scent. I guess I should feel relieved that she was being so empathetic, but it didn't subdue my guilt any less. That and I wasn't too thrilled that he was coming to the party.

"Gareth?"

"Yes?"

"What did you mean when you said no wonder Rick paid you to take me out?"

My heart leapt out of my chest for a hot second, not knowing what to do. While it was bad to lie, I didn't want to destroy her birthday weekend by causing a disastrous argument, so I went with a half truth instead. "That was just me being an idiot. I was in his office that day showing him final proofs for posters, we discussed that he wanted to promote me and he happened to show me your picture." Hopefully, this would buy me some more time. Besides, I hadn't even asked Rick to reimburse me for a single date.

"Alright, that's no problem." Melody rested her forehead against mine. "I love you, Gareth. There's nobody I want but you, please don't forget that." She gave me a gentle kiss and a tight hug, the love radiating through us.

"I love you, too, Melody." I laid us down, kissing and holding her until we fell asleep.

**_8:45 AM_ **

**_MELODY_ **

Having thrown on my pajamas, I made my way to the Penthouse suite that Rick and Lori were in. After they left, some intense shit had gone down, Gareth's clusterfuck of emotions. I was scared by him when he was acting that way, but I know he had just handled himself inappropriately in the moment and it wouldn't become a recurring problem. Although, he was right about some things. Am I really that much of an oblivious ditz? Maybe this is why Kendall turned on me and was such a bitch, because I was unintentionally flirtatious simply because I'm bubbly. Does anybody else notice?

With the exception of kissing Rick, I tell Lori everything. What happened wasn't something I could discuss with my mom, Rosita would just call it passionate and I'll probably tell Beth later, but I knew the first person she would tell anything to was Maggie. Since we had gotten duplicate keys for each other's rooms, I swiped the key and opened the door, in desperate need of some sisterly love.


	38. Sin City, Part Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Melody seeks sisterly advice from Lori and Beth; Gareth's carefree and flirtatious approach irritates Melody; Lori goes to find Gareth while Melody and Crash help Rick let loose.

**Hi everybody! It's been a crazy month! Sorry for the delay. First I had a horrendous case of writer's block, then my grandma had a small stroke on her left side. She was in the hospital for two days, then moved to a rehab facility 30 miles away for speech and physical therapy, it has been quite exhausting for me and my mom, so sorry if this chapter kind of sucks. It was pretty long, so I split it up, the next one will be quite juicy. I made the reference to _How I Met Your Mother_ because if _Stubborn Love_ were ever to be on the big screen (which is the ultimate plan) outside of FanFiction, I would want Cobie Smulders, who plays Robin, to play Melody's older sister.**

**_DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NOR HAVE ANY AFFILIATIONS WITH LOVE SHACK. ALL PROPERTIES OWNED BY THE B-52'S, RESPECTIVELY. I ONLY OWN MY OWN ORIGINAL IDEAS AND CHARACTERS._ **

**_Chapter Thirty Eight: Sin City Part Three_ **

**_LORI_ **

The beeping of the key slider and click of the door opening alerted me from my dream like state.

"Come back later! We don't need the bed turned." I said as loud as I could in my sleepiness, assuming it was housekeeping.

After dinner and LOVE last night, Rick and I decided to skip Terminus and go straight to the penthouse. Even though I love to party, pregnancy really wore me out. We spent the rest of the evening watching _The Last Five Years_ , snuggled up in the deluxe king sized bed eating jumbo ice cream sundaes and talking the night away.

When Rick was a sheriff, we spent more evenings together, and although he succeeds in coming home by six, there are still the all nighters that have to be pulled. The holidays were always a stressful time, not to mention the current workload at Woodbury (I'm even surprised the boys were able to take the weekend off), that it was little moments like these that both of us cherished, time for us to relax and be intimate.

"Lori. Psst, Lori!" My sister loudly whispered.

"Mm what? I'm sleeping."

She scoffed, clearly not caring. "I need some sissy time, we gotta talk."

The next thing I felt was the comforter and the sheets tucked in at the end of the bed lift up and then rustle. When I opened my eyes, Melody was struggling to get in between us.

"Jeez, this is a bed for six, it shouldn't be this much of a hassle to be the middle spoon!" She sat up, crossing my arm and Rick's over her once she finally got comfortable.

"Melody, sometimes you are such a pest!"

"Lori, what's going on?" Rick murmured in his sleep.

"Shhh, it's nothing, Rick. Go back to sleep, I'm talking to my sister. Return to the Land of Dreams, Yoda, where light sabers and time machines rule." Melody patted him on his shoulders before turning back to me.

"What time is it?"

"Almost 9. You're the only one I can talk to, Lori. I need my big sissy." She stuck her lower lip out in a pout, her eyes down turned in mock sadness.

With a heavy sigh, I decided not to be agitated and just hear her out. "Melody, what is it and why couldn't it have waited? I was having such a nice dream and you know how hard it is for me to fall asleep lately." I figured it must have been important for her to barge in so early.

Her pout turned into a smile, followed by a squeal. "Yay!"

I put my finger to my lips, shushing her. "Rick is still sleeping."

"Oops, right." Melody hunkered down as we laid on our sides. "Oh, my God. Lorelei Callie Silverstone-Grimes, you missed one hell of a night! You will not believe what happened."

"I did, huh? Enlighten me."

"First off, Terminus has got to be the coolest place around, they even had a mechanical bull in their butcher room! Talk about morbid, huh?"

I nodded with a soundless laugh. "Oh, yeah. Keep going."

"We had the V.I.P. hook ups and everything. I'm on my way back from the bathroom, somebody knocks into me, and I go flying onto this guy's lap. We started talking and he bought me a drink, the next thing I know thirty minutes had passed and Gareth found me still on his lap."

"Wait, you weren't-"

Melody shook her head. "Of course not! Anyways, his name is Crash, he's a makeup artist, too. He and his friends joined us back at the villa for an after party, Crash was about to take his shirt off to show me the rest of his ink when Gareth grabbed me and dragged us back to the master suite. He started shouting madman style, I'm trying to calm him but nothing. I've seen him angry before, never like this. Not gonna lie, he was one step away from turning into The Incredible Hulk."

"Whoa, boy. Why was he so pissed?" Unfortunately, this hadn't been their first fight, and while things had been pretty great since they got back together, they weren't entirely perfect.

The most recent was two days after Thanksgiving; they had actually gotten into an argument over Melody's boobs when he offered to get her a breast augmentation. Gareth had meant it because she has horrendous back pain, but Melody interpreted it as not being respected despite her cup size, and it evolved into a yelling match throughout the whole house, starting at her room and making its way to the foyer, screaming in each other's faces. Rick and I had intervened, only for Melody to shove Gareth out of the house and slam the door in his face. He came back twenty minutes later and they had makeup sex for three hours.

Of course, Melody had received a visit from Mother Nature later that night, which explained why she was so agitated, but this time it was on Gareth.

"Turns out he had taken E with Alex, Glenn, Noah, and Aaron."

My mouth flew open. "No way."

"Not just that, but Aaron kissed him!"

"Shut up! He did not!"

"No, he totally did! I've never seen Gareth so enraged, Lori. He actually..." She leaned in, whispering in my ear, and when she pulled away I was completely flabbergasted.

"I don't think I needed to know that, Melody. Haven't you ever heard of T.M.I.?"

Melody scrunched her eyebrows up, appearing sad. "Huh? What do you mean?

While she was a consenting adult, there were times when it was hard to swallow, like right now. "You're my baby sister, I still see you carrying around your Cowgirl Jessie doll and wearing those rhinestone ponytails, I don't want to think of you in that light. Did you know when you were little that Mom and I used to dress you up and take pictures of you all the time? You had a matching headband for every outfit."

Melody had been such a gorgeous baby, with her dark hair and big eyes, people would have to practically pry her out of my arms to separate us. I smiled to myself thinking of how I used to take her for walks around the neighborhood in her stroller and say she was my baby. In a way, she was, because there were moments where I was like a mother to her, I suppose it's to make up for the time I wasn't there.

She smiled, placing her hand on my stomach. "It'll be like that with Judith, too."

After a very long debate regarding the baby's name, Carl came up with the idea to name her Judith, for my love of Judith Lieber clutches. Although it was old fashioned, Rick and I just fell in love with the idea of having our own little Judith who would hopefully bedazzle the world.

"Anyways, I couldn't tell Mommy, and I was going to tell Beth but I had a feeling if she were in this situation she would tell Maggie first. Come on, don't act like you haven't done it before." My sister grinned devilishly.

"I didn't enjoy it as much as you seemed to."

"Pfft, are you kidding me? I got up this morning and I thought I wasn't going to be able to walk. I don't know when I'll be doing round two anytime soon, but it was sexy. Except for I didn't like how mad he got, he was practically out of his mind. You know I would never do anything to upset him on purpose. Gareth is the Marshall to my Lily, I love him to death. I'd say he's the Ted to my Robin, except we're not gonna wait years and years to end up together like they did."

Even in an uncomfortable situation, Melody almost never failed to emerge with a smile. It was a trait I had worried she lost forever when Aiden died. "I know, honey. Can you really blame him though? You blew him off for a half hour, letting him wonder where you were while you hung out with some guy. I'm not saying it makes what he did ok, but can you see where the problem presented itself?"

She nodded. "Yes. I didn't mean to, I guess I didn't realize I was on his lap or how long I was gone. Not to mention I was drunk. We all make mistakes, but he's one to talk, like when he kissed that French whore Genevieve."

"Melody, that's not fair. She forced herself on him and you know that. Still, you have a point."

"I just now noticed both of those resulted in hot sexual encounters, I wouldn't want him that aggressive again outside the bedroom though, it kind of reminded me how Mom and Daddy would fight. At least he knows his behavior was wrong. I've only seen him cry two other times, and I could have sworn I saw tears in his eyes when he woke me up to apologize."

"I can say with the utmost confidence that Gareth would never do anything to hurt you, because if he did, it's not Rick he has to fear, it's me." A couple times I had gone toe-to-toe with Randall for his idiotic behavior towards my sister, which stemmed from my fierce protection over her. Either way, I don't think I will ever have a situation like that with Gareth... except for I could tell Melody was still irked by the whole experience, she was holding back.

"It's nice to know I've got you on my side, big sister."

"Of course. Jealousy is pretty big with guys. I remember a while back Rick was paranoid I had the hots for Shane."

"What? Really? No way." She bit her lip to prevent herself from laughing out loud.

I nodded. "Yep, true story. It was when Shane would blow off those big business trips at the last minute, Rick and I were arguing a lot more then, also."

Melody gave me a dumbfounded look. "What? I had no idea, Lor. You guys always seemed like the picture perfect couple."

"So do you and Gareth, but every couple fights, some worse than others. I'll give you the secret to a long-lasting relationship: be willing to work through any problem. We all know you have a bit of a stubbornness problem."

"And lots of blowjobs. Just think of it as a big Popsicle. I know I do."

"Oh my god, get your head out of the gutter!" I lightly shoved her as we started to laugh as quietly as possible in order not to wake Rick.

"I should probably get going, everybody will be up soon wondering where I am." Melody got up from the bed and was about to walk out of the room when she turned around. "Oh, and one more thing. Gareth said the craziest thing that Rick paid him to take me out."

"He did?"

"Yeah, right before we started going at it. Then later on he said that that wasn't what he meant, that Rick brought me up when they were discussing his promotion. Please tell me that there isn't a shred of truth to this, that Gareth wasn't bribed to take me out."

"Melody, who do you take me for? Of course it isn't true, the timing was just coincidental."

While the topic of promotion had come up frequently the past few months, Rick offering to reimburse Gareth for the dates was his idea, not mine, thinking of it as an added incentive.

"I figured as such, I'm so relieved. The last thing I'd want was for a _My Fair Lady/She's All That_ moment to happen."

I couldn't tell my sister the truth, she'd feel betrayed by all of us. At the same time, Gareth hadn't presented a single receipt to Rick that I knew of, so perchance it wasn't such a big deal after all? Only time would tell.

**_11:50 AM_ **

**_MELODY_ **

"I can't believe you did that!"

I scoffed at Beth as I walked out of the closet. "Shouldn't I be saying that instead? I think I'm in shock you actually did that before me. Little Beth Greene is all grown up now."

"Well, like you said, you do that kind of thing with somebody you love, and I love Noah. Is everything ok though? You seem a little frazzled, but you do look amazing in that bathing suit. I'd kill for your boobs." Beth said as she brushed her golden locks. She looked awesome in a yellow polka dot bikini and denim Daisy Dukes, which was rather revealing for her, but a little change never hurt.

"Trust me, they're not always fun." I checked myself out in the mirror, wearing my brand new swimsuit. It was a black and white bandage Herve Leger one piece with cutouts in the front and sides, paired with a beaded white fringe mini skirt and black sandals. This was the first time I had worn a bathing suit in ages, and while I knew I looked good, I was still a bit self-conscious. "Are you sure I should wear it? Maybe I should have gotten the neon colorblocked one instead." I'm finally getting comfortable in my own skin again and now I'm totally on edge.

"Pfft, no way! Black and white is a timeless classic, you look like a billion bucks!"

"Thanks."

"Are you still upset with Gareth? I notice you've hardly talked to him all morning."

"Kind of. How do I know this isn't the beginning of something bad? Maybe I'm overreacting, but one of my worst fears is whatever relationship I'm in would eventually end up like my parents. You're lucky that Noah was only in Jamaica Mon mode, Gareth was like Jack Torrance from _The Shining_ , i.e. unpredictable and practically foaming at the mouth."

I sighed heavily, looking down at my Love bracelet. The man that I had encountered only hours ago was so different from the man that gave me this gift the night before.

"Melody, I know it wasn't pleasant at all. In fact, it sounds a bit terrifying, but I think it was the drugs blinding his emotions and exasperating things. Gareth adores you completely and would never do anything to hurt you, but I think you should bring it up with him if you're worried about it happening in the future. Maybe he's a little insecure and is too proud to admit it."

Growing up, I didn't exactly have a "relationship role model". Mom and Dad always fought, I couldn't take Lilly seriously and I have no idea what his first marriage was like, either. Later on, it was Rick and Lori and Glenn and Maggie fitting the mold, and I had witnessed more than one argument. All couples fight, I know that, but at the moment I feel like I can't shake off the earlier blowup, it was too fresh.

"If he is, I'm the last person he should be hiding it from. Believe me, I've been wearing Insecure Couture for years, it's nothing new to me and he knows that. I have a bad feeling though that since I lost weight, I'll only be getting more unwanted attention, it's already happening now. What am I supposed to do, I can't control what other guys think or do. We've been so happy, but I think a part of him will always be jaded because of how things with Theresa ended. Doesn't he trust me?"

"I don't think it's that, you were sitting on another guy's lap and fawning all over him. Of course your boyfriend was going to get jealous, but you've got to own up to some of this. It doesn't help that Crash is coming back here for the party."

I nodded. "I know, I guess I don't realize how I come across. He said something last night, about how I'm so bubbly it comes off as flirtatious. Is that true?"

Beth immediately looked down, rubbing her cuticles. "Uh, well..."

"Bethy, come on. Don't lie to me, you're one of the very few people in my whole lifetime I could always count on to be completely honest." This had to be pretty bad if my best friend of nineteen years couldn't even look me in the eye.

She heavily sighed and nodded, finally making eye contact. "A little bit, yeah, but I think you're just not aware. It's something that can be fixed though, you just have to check yourself."

I felt my heart sink, having hoped that Gareth was just being a jerk, but how could I have been so unaware? Between that and the fight, this was all getting to be too much for me to the point where I wanted to break down in tears, but I wouldn't. Although it wasn't wise, I was going to do what I did the night before: get very, very drunk. It would provide me with a much-needed distraction along with liquid courage to approach this touchy subject. There was no way I could contain these concerned feelings forever.

"You're right. Come on, let's get this party started!" I motioned for her to follow me, both of us grabbing our matching pink tinted heart shaped sunglasses. The party was going to start soon, everything was still being set up like the temporary stripper poles, DJ booth and buffet table.

As we made our way into the foyer, I froze a little bit when I saw Gareth talking to Alex and Martin. What if he was telling them about last night?

He looked up at me and smiled the best he could. "Hey there."

"Hi."

Gareth made his way over as Beth passed me to go outside. "You girls were in there for so long I didn't think you'd come out."

"Well, we did." I was trying to make eye contact, but I couldn't. Even though I was still tense, I had to face him eventually, especially since I had been trying to avoid him all morning, starting with sitting at the other end of the table at breakfast with everybody.

"I'm glad." He wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me into his bare chest. Rocking a pretty rad pair of zigzag blue, pink, white and green board shorts, Gareth had become more lean and toned since the first time I saw him shirtless two months ago, thanks to frequent training sessions with Lee. For a moment, I forgot everything that was bothering me, inhaling his cologne and melting into his arms.

"You look so sexy in that bathing suit, Melody, but I think I'd rather see it on the floor and your legs wrapped around me."

I pulled away, a look of shocked disgust on my face. "Wow, really? You're a fucking asshole, you know that?" Did he seriously have no conscious or recollection of the night before that he would make such a lewd statement?

His face faltered at my words. "What, you mean last night?"

"Love Shack" by The B-52's started blaring from outside, Beth came back in squealing.

"Melody, Melody! It's our song! Come on!" She grabbed me by the arm outside, barely giving me enough time to put on my sunglasses, let alone answer Gareth's question, who was left dumbfounded. The music washed over me as I rocked out with my bestie, reminding us of when Annette or my mom used to drive us to school or Pee Wee Troops and play "Love Shack" the whole way. The image of the two of us jamming in our car seats to now bikini clad and dancing on a table was enough to crack me up.

**_"The Love Shack is a little old place where we can get together_ **

**_Love Shack, bay-bee_ **

**_Love Shack, baby, Love Shack_ **

**_Love Shack, baby, Love Shack!"_ **

We were shimming back and forth as we sang and laughed, giving our order to the bartender for a batch of piña coladas ASAP, ready to get my drink on. I was so consumed by the fun that I didn't even notice Gareth had left.

**_2:45 pm_ **

**_RICK_ **

"How much did you hear?" Lori asked me as we got off the elevator.

"The whole thing." I had actually woken up even though Melody told me to go back to sleep and overheard the entire story about what happened the night before. Honestly, I wasn't sure what was more shocking: Gareth's jealousy or Melody's promiscuity. Hearing that they had anal sex was kind of jarring, and like Lori said, too much information. "I've seen Gareth get angry before, but never to the kind of extreme she described. Maybe one of us should talk to him?"

"That came to mind also, I think it should be me. She's my sister, Rick, and I'm the one who concocted the idea to set them up. You know how protective I am of her, no matter how old she is."

I nodded. "I know, and you two have gotten better acquainted, maybe Gareth feels more comfortable confiding in you than me."

"Or he'll be more intimidated."

We knocked on the door once before Omid opened it with a smile on his face. "Mr. and Mrs. Grimes! May I offer you a refreshment of sorts?"

Lori shook her head. "No, thank you."

"I'll take a Bud."

"Very good, sir."

"Wow, this place is kind of a madhouse." Lori said. Looking around, she was right. If I had to guess, I would say there were almost two hundred people divided between the outside and inside. They were drinking, swimming in the pool, messing around with the entertainment center. I had no idea who they were, most likely freeloaders that were here through word of mouth.

"Hey, hey, hey! Welcome to mi fiesta ca-sa!" Melody strolled up, wearing a black and white cut out one piece with black sandals and a nearly finished piña colada in her hand as she wrapped an arm around each of us. "I'm so happy to see you guys! It's about time you two showed up! What took so long, were you coming from Jupiter? You could have stopped by the moon and grabbed some cheese for the party!" She put her hand over her mouth to conceal the giggles.

"It takes a little longer than I'd like to get ready nowadays. Honey, where's Gareth?" Lori asked, looking in every which direction to find him, only for Melody to shrug.

"I have no idea where he is, I think I heard he and Glenn went to the casino. I honestly don't care, cuz right now I'm too busy getting crunk in this bitch! Woo-Hoo!" She downed the rest of her drink and set it on the tray once Omid appeared with my beer. "Omid, do not stop the drinks."

"Yes, Miss Melody."

"Rick," she grabbed my hand. "You're coming with me and I'm gonna show you how to party hard. And I won't let you say no, cuz you need to loosen up and have some fun like the rest of us!"

I turned to Lori, both of us had a worried expression on our faces. "I'll stay here and watch her, you go find Gareth."

"Good plan."

I followed Melody outside where Alisha was pouring shots of whiskey.

"Don't you think whiskey is a little strong?"

Alisha shook her head. "Not even! A little Jack Daniels is always good for the soul!" She handed us shots before toasting. "Cheers."

We all tossed our heads back, downing the shot.

"I'm outtie. Peace out, kids!" Alisha made a sideways peace sign and walked off.

"Another shot, brother?" Melody asked with a big smile. While I knew I shouldn't be enabling her, maybe she was right, I did need to loosen up a bit. Considering the night Melody had, perhaps she needed to as well.

"Sure, but just one. Are you alright, Melody? I heard about the fight with Gareth."

She poured the smooth whiskey, avoiding eye contact. "Rick, honey, I am finer than a dandelion. I don't want to talk about Gareth right now, he's in the doghouse."

Melody really was in complete party mode, and I didn't know what to make of it. While a part of me wanted to let her enjoy her birthday weekend, another part of me wanted to shake some sense into her.

"Whatever it is, I'm sure you two will figure it out. He's been a very positive addition."

"I know, but for now he couldn't be further from my mind. I hope you're not mad, but he knows about the kiss." Sadness draped her face while shock enveloped mine. "No, please don't get mad, Rick. I had to tell him, we tell each other everything."

I couldn't help but feel a little betrayed and slightly envious of the fact that she had confided in her boyfriend, while the only person that knew was Dr. Jenner, who also believed it was best to wait until after Judith was born. The guilt had been eating away at Melody and clearly still was, perhaps I should let it slide.

"It's alright, kiddo." I grabbed the shot and sipped it. "You know, things were kind of fuzzy for me after that. I'm sure you saw me checking you out before, but for some time following the kiss, I had actually convinced myself I was in love with you."

Melody gave me a strange expression before laughing, which I couldn't help but join in, a sense of relief washed over me. "That is freaking hilarious! Yeah, like that would ever happen! I'm pissed at Gareth right now, but I love that boy so much. My sister is your soul mate. If you break her heart, I'll have to kill you."

"I wouldn't dare it."

She took her shot before almost dropping the glass when she turned around and squealed.

"CRASH! HI-EE!"

Melody had the biggest smile on her face as she walked up and wrapped her arms around a guy wearing black and white stripped board shorts, which he reciprocated before being led over by the hand.

"Rick, this is Crash Bridges, my new BDFF! Best Dude Friend Forever!"

Crash extended his hand forward with a smile. "Hey, Rick. Melody has told me all about you, Lori, Carl and how excited she is for Baby Judith. Congrats, man. Nice to meet you."

"Yeah, good to meet you, too."

"Crash, you and I are gonna show Rick how to have a good time, cuz party rock is in the house, tonight! Schyeah!"

"Sweet! I gotta ask though, where's the Patron at? Everybody knows you can't party without Patron."

"Voilà!" Melody pulled a bottle out from behind the bar, along with a third shot glass.

"Nothing too crazy, kids."

"Hey, it's Saturday and you're on vacation. By Monday morning, you'll be sobered up and back in the office, so why not live a little while you can? Right, buddy?" Crash asked with a smile, proving his point.

"Alright, alright, I can play along." I believed it, I'm a grown man and I know my limits.

"Then we're going to have a blast." We raised our glasses. "Cheers, to Melody."

"To Melody."

"To me!"

I could see where Gareth was envious of Crash. He's good looking, laid back, fun and creative. Those are natural qualities to make even the most confident guy a little jealous, not to mention when his girlfriend is mesmerized by him. Hopefully, Gareth would come around.


	39. Sin City, Part Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gareth has heart to hearts with Glenn and Lori regarding his jealousy; Lori and Gareth return to the party to find Rick and Melody completely intoxicated and partying like crazy, resulting in unnecessary slams from both parties; Gareth and Rick see the errors of their ways, with Melody and Lori forgiving them, respectively.

**Hi everybody! Thank you so much for all the kind words for my grandma, it really means a lot! I've been swept up helping her out as well as my mom who is off of work due to an injury, not to mention my other wisdom tooth that needs to be removed cracked, so needless to say I've been busy! Haha again, sorry if this chapter kind of sucks and I plan on working on _Phoenix_  very soon. This chapter goes out to my hero Jackie Collins, who tragically passed away yesterday from breast cancer and as you know, has been my biggest writing inspiration.**

**_DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NOR HAVE ANY AFFILIATIONS WITH NOTHIN' BUT A GOOD TIME. ALL PROPERTIES OWNED BY POISON, RESPECTIVELY. I ONLY OWN MY OWN ORIGINAL IDEAS AND CHARACTERS._ **

**_Chapter Thirty Nine: Sin City Part Four_ **

**_AN HOUR LATER, THE PALMS CASINO_ **

**_GARETH_ **

"She called you an asshole? Man, that's rough. Do you think you deserved it?" Glenn asked, sipping his scotch on the rocks while we waited for my turn at the craps table. After Melody's snub, I decided I needed to blow off some steam, so Glenn and I got dressed and hit the casino.

"Of course I did. I didn't mean to get aggressive, but the whole thing was so unlike me. Honestly, it felt like an out of body experience. I am never doing drugs again."

"I'm sorry you had that trip, I was laughing my ass off from what I can remember. Look, I get it, Gareth."

"You do?"

"It's your turn, sir." The dealer tossed the dice my way.

"Thanks."

"Of course I do! If it were Maggie instead, I wouldn't be all smiles, either. As far as I'm concerned, you're both in the wrong."

"Don't I know it? I've got some serious groveling to do." I rolled the dice in my hand and threw them, smiling when I saw it was bar sixes. "Woo hoo!"

"At least you're getting lucky here."

"Absolutely." I nodded at the dealer. "Double or nothing." I looked over at Glenn as I rolled the dice again. "How would you handle this situation, Glenn?"

He shrugged. "Honestly? I'm pretty non-confrontational, I'd only bring it to the light if it was really becoming an issue. Did you ever think that maybe Melody didn't want the attention or that Crash wasn't hitting on her?"

I stopped for a moment, pondering his question. "I never thought of that, but how could she have been that oblivious?"

"Pretty girls are kind of oblivious when they're insecure, but when you date a pretty girl, you have to accept that they're going to get unwanted attention from men. I've been with Maggie for four years now and guys still hit on her. You may not like it, but you've got to accept it."

Glenn had a point. I suppose I could control myself better, so long as Melody didn't reciprocate anything. Honestly, I don't think I'd be able to bear being cheated on again. It bothered me that I could even allow that thought to cross my mind. Then again, I thought Theresa was devoted to our relationship and look how that turned out, except for Melody wasn't Theresa. Melody had come back to me even after I neglected to tell her about Autumn Montana, and she chose me when she could have had any other guy.

"It'll take some time, but I think I can do that."

"Gareth!"

Upon hearing my name called, I turned around to see Lori walking up. I already knew I was in deep shit with Melody, she had been distant all day. Judging by Lori's body language, I might as well be dead and buried.

"Lori, hi. How are you?"

"Not too well." She looked over at Glenn. "Glenn, would you mind giving us a minute?"

He shook his head. "No, not at all." Glenn patted me on the shoulder. "I'll see you up at the villa, ok?"

"You got it." I waited until he was gone to resume the conversation with Lori. "I think I know why you're here, and I'm not entirely to blame. Maybe you should be having this conversation with your sister instead, ask her why she's sitting on random guy's laps when she's got her so called dream guy by the balls."

The moment the words came out of my mouth, all I wanted was to erase it. How could I have even said that when I came to the realization that I was in the wrong? I had had a little too much to drink, Melody's iciness had me feeling depressed and isolated. Perhaps this was a delayed reaction on her end, even if I had it coming.

Lori was flabbergasted before pulling herself together and glaring at me. "I know you didn't mean that, Gareth. Listen to me and you listen NOW. I am five months pregnant, waddling through a casino reeking of cigarettes, booze and high-class hookers, I do not need shit from anybody else. Do you understand?"

"Y-yes." The only time Lori had ever been hostile towards me was when I pointed out that Aiden's friends were pieces of shit by not inviting Melody to the memorial and that was only because she felt like I was rubbing it in her face.

"Now, talk to me. I want to help if I can. She's my sister and I have her back, but there are two sides to every story. Spill the beans, Gareth."

"Sir, it's your turn to roll." The craps dealer interrupted us. I was on the verge of a big sweep, beating out some pretty big high rollers, which included a Texas oil tycoon and some Silicon Valley genius with coke bottle glasses.

"Just a sec." I turned to Lori, knowing the look on my face said it all. "I was out of control last night, plain and simple. I'm sure you know I was tripping balls, I believe that played a big part in it, but you didn't see this guy, Lori. You didn't see the look Melody had on her face, it's the same way she looks at me, and I've never seen her look at any other guy like that but me. Call it what you want: vulnerable, jaded, insecure. Maybe because things have been going so well for us that this presented itself as a problem."

She raised an eyebrow at me. "Going so well? Like when you didn't tell her that you had a three year old daughter or when she caught you and Genevieve?"

"Yes, ok, you're right, and then we broke up and got back together, it's been great ever since. I adore your sister, but she played a part in this by not backing down."

Lori sighed heavily, I could tell she was feeling some indifference. "I know, Gareth, and I agree. Everybody gets one, let that be your one with her. She would never deliberately hurt you like this."

"I know, at least I hope so, but there's also a part of me that can't explain my actions, too. I apologized but Melody is pissed at me still."

"Can you blame her? It brought her back to a bad place. I wasn't always around when my mom and Phillip fought, but I know it was pretty bad and Melody was worried things would escalate to that level last night."

The thought had never even crossed my mind, but now I understood things from another perspective, and I needed to prove that to Melody.

"Lori, your sister means everything to me. You have my solemn promise that history won't repeat itself with us." I had to assure this to Melody as quickly as possible, tossing the dice over my shoulder. "Come on, let's get back. I've got to do damage control."

"Bar sixes!"

We turned around to see that I had again landed bar sixes, doubling my winnings. Everybody cheered for me as I pumped my fist in the air.

"Yeah!" I grabbed Lori and gave her a big hug.

"Congratulations, Gareth!"

"This is so awesome!"

I was just gathering my chips when I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket. When I looked down on what it was, I showed Lori.

"Looks like things are getting a little crazy up there."

Glenn had sent me a video of Melody and Rick doing The Robot with Daryl and Rosita grinding up behind either one of them, respectively. Lori looked worried, slapping her palm to her forehead.

"I knew I shouldn't have left. Let's go."

**_FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER_ **

Lori and I walked in to see the villa was a mess. Bottles and cans piling up, silly string and streamers strewn everywhere, at least all the furniture and artwork were still in tact. There were even more people than we planned, I had no idea how they got in.

"Jesus Christ, this is  _Animal House the Sequel_."

"Where the hell is my sister? I think this party is about to end."

We looked over to see Melody dancing on the DJ table, the crowd chanting and screaming for her as they all sang along to "Nothin' But A Good Time" by Poison.

**_"Don't need nothin' but a good time_ **

**_How can I resist_ **

**_Ain't lookin' for nothin' but a good time_ **

**_And it don't get better than this"_ **

She grabbed the microphone as the song ended. "EVERYBODY PUT YOUR HANDS UP AND PARTY LIKE YOU KNOW HOW TO RULE THE WORLD!"

The cheering got even louder as Lori and I made our way to the outdoor entrance.

"Melody!"

Melody turned around with a huge smile on her face. "Hey! I'll come over to you! Rick, saddle up!"

"You got it, cowgirl!"

Rick strolled over in front of the DJ booth for Melody to jump on his back.

"Yee-Haw! Giddy up!"

They were both laughing when they finally got to us.

"Hi! Oh, my big sissy, I love you so much!" Melody hopped off of Rick and threw herself on Lori, hanging on her neck.

"I love you, too, hun."

"You mean so much to me, I hope you know that."

"Yes, and same here." Lori gently removed Melody and looked at Rick. "Rick, what is going on? I'm gone for less than an hour and this is what happens?!"

"Live a little, Lori! You're pregnant, not dead. Look out, everybody! Here comes Officer Buzzkill!" Rick started imitating a police siren before cracking up with Melody.

"Melody, you missed BJ swallow a whole jar of olives and shoot them out of his nose! It was hilarious." Crash walked up behind Melody and wrapped his arm across her chest and around her waist, his hand gracing her butterfly tattoo. The second his hand made contact with her skin, all I saw was red.

"Get your fucking hands off my girlfriend." I said as I shoved him off and grabbed Melody, who pushed me away.

"Gareth, what the fuck?"

Crash held up his hands in defense. "Sorry, man. It's a party, I was just having fun, I didn't mean anything by it."

Rick wrapped his arm around Crash's neck. "Hey hey now, we can all be amicable. Crash, I fucking loove you, man!" The two of them started laughing. I couldn't help but feel hurt. Rick was my mentor, not to mention one of my closest friends, to see him fawning all over my new arch-nemesis killed me.

"I love you, too, bro." Crash looked over at Lori and smiled. "Hey! You're Lori, Melody's big sis!"

She nodded. "Yes, and you're Crash, whom I've heard so much about."

"Likewise, it's great to meet you. Wow! Rick, you're right, she's a fox."

Rick nodded, grinning triumphantly. "Mmhmm, I totally hit it and quit it last night, but I didn't get as far as this one did." He pointed at me before throwing his head back and started howling like a wolf. "AAA-OOOOH!"

"Rick! STOP! You're making an ass out of yourself, I think it's time to call it a day." Lori folded her arms across her chest, clearly annoyed.

"Yeah, because I never got the chance to! I didn't want to have Carl when we did, I wanted to go to keggers and get shitfaced! I grew up too fast and I didn't get to enjoy the young college years like I should have, and it's all because you didn't want to get an abortion."

Even I was offended by Rick's comment. Melody kept her mouth shut, but Lori's reaction hurt the most. Not only had Rick stabbed her in the chest, he twisted the knife so deep it went out her back. She turned on her heel and left, tears in her eyes.

"Lori, wait." Melody tried to go after her, but I held her back by the arm as Rick stormed past us.

"LO-RI! Don't go like this! I'm sorry!"

"Let them work it out on their own, Melody."

She turned around, anger in her gaze. "I don't know what the hell has gotten into you, but you need to stop."

I gave her a puzzled look. "I need to stop? You're the one that's out of control, not me."

"Pfft, I am not! I'm a dance champion!" This was true. At the dance competition, the trio and both group numbers won first place while Soiphia won second by a tenth of a point from first. "Fuck Lena Dunham,  _I'M_ the voice of my generation and I'm gonna start a revelation! It's gonna be a revolution, bitches!"

I motioned to Noah to turn the music down before addressing the crowd. "Alright, listen up! Party's over, thanks for coming!" Everybody groaned in protest to my demand.

"What?! No way! He doesn't mean it! Don't go!" She tried to stop people from leaving, but most of them got the message. "Gareth, take it back right now! This is my birthday weekend, not yours."

"Excuse me, but we've received some complaints about the noise."

We turned around to see a good looking cop with a Southern drawl wearing black tinted shades and a hat. Not getting a good feeling, I prayed that it wasn't what I thought it would be.

"Really? You have?" Melody asked.

"Yes, m'am. That it's time to turn up the sexy!" The cop then ripped open his shirt, revealing an insane six pack as five more guys came in behind him, the second tallest carrying a boom box blasting "Party Rock Anthem". One was dressed as a firefighter, another a doctor, and the rest in speedos. It was exactly what I hoped it wasn't.

"Ahh, fuck..."

"Melody!" Maggie came running up with Rosita and Sasha. "Surprise! We got you strippers!"

"Actually, we prefer to be called male entertainers." Said the one in a bright blue speedo.

Melody started laughing. "Oh, my god! This is insane!"

"I take it you're the birthday girl? I'm Tex and we're the  _Magic Mike_  Tribute." The cop walked forward, which was when I realized he was supposed to be Dallas, Matthew McConaughey's character in the movie, which I had been dragged to see by Theresa. "And might I say, you are the prettiest thing on legs I've seen all day." Tex grabbed her hand and gave it a kiss, making Melody blush.

"Thank you very much. How is this supposed to work? I'm such a newbie. Like I know what goes on but where do we start?" She was babbling and looking every which way, an indicator that she was nervous.

"All you need to do is take a seat and let the fun begin, princess."

Tex guided Melody over to the couch and started grinding and thrusting on her as "Moves Like Jagger" played. I could feel myself cringe, even when the guys started performing for the rest of the girls. Mellie and Maggs were cracking up, Sasha playfully spanked the doctor, but I could tell Glenn was also uncomfortable.

Alex leaned into me. "Dude, are you serious right now? He's all over your woman!"

Tex had his head in Melody's crotch, whose face was bright red from laughing, before he wrapped her legs around his waist and hoisted her up. He started spinning her all around and contortioning her in different risqué positions, some of the moves would have even put the Cirque dancers last night to shame, which was when I had had enough when he did a standing up 69 position.

"Ok, ok, that's about enough." I walked over, pulling my wallet from my suit jacket. "Here, sorry I had to cut it short but it's been too much bullshit for one day." Luckily, I had enough cash on me to pay them off.

Tex looked at me with slight annoyance. "Hey, man, we were hired for the full hour."

I glanced at him, lowering my voice. "If you know what's good for you, you and your boys will hit the road before things really go to hell."

He stepped back, taking the message. "Got it. Let's roll, boys."

Melody approached me as the girls whined to the guys walking out.

"Gareth, stop! You're ruining everything! What, am I stealing your thunder, Wonderboy? I let you be the star last night, now it's my turn."

"What are you talking about, Melody?" Her behavior was really starting to get on my nerves, it was so unlike her.

"That's the problem, you have no shame at all." She continued talking despite the look on my face. "Oh, yeah. Crash told me about how he saw you looking at him during our little tryst, and from what he said it was quite the show. I gotta ask, what's stopping you from performing Act Two, bay-beh?"

Crash looked in every which way, embarrassed and knowing he had more or less broken the bro code. "Ok, I think that's my cue to go. Gareth, good seeing you again and hopefully everything works out." He turned around, motioning to the rest of the partygoers that had stayed behind to watch the male entertainers. "Hey, everybody! Come with me if you want to get into Wet Republic!"

Everybody cheered and followed him and his friends out of the villa. While I was thankful for that, there was no way in hell he was getting my gratitude when the only thing I wanted to give him was my fist to his face.

"Answer me, damn, it."

"Melody, that's enough."

She started to laugh in a menacing manner. "Come on, Gareth! Shut up and fuck me like the man you are! That's all I'm good for, right? It's what every guy wants from me and that's it. You don't really love me at all, because if you did, you never would have-"

Before she could further her rant, Melody bent down and threw up at my feet. Some of the partygoers grimaced on their way out while others laughed, which made me more agitated.

"Everybody that isn't part of our group, get out, now!" I walked over and picked Melody up, rushing her to the master bathroom. "Don't worry, babe, everything is going to be fine." Unfortunately, considering how much she drank, the upchucking had only just begun.

**_TWENTY MINUTES LATER_ **

"It's alright, Melody. Let it all out." I soothed Melody the best I could, holding her hair with one hand and rubbing circles on her back with the other while her head was in the toilet. She had been puking her guts out for almost a half hour, luckily there was a grace period between upchucks where I was able to get Melody out of her bathing suit before she stained it (I knew she'd be horrified if that happened) and got her into my Van Halen T-shirt that went to her mid thighs.

Lori and Rick went back to the penthouse from what she replied when I sent a text message asking if she was ok, but I had a feeling they were having an explosive fight. What Rick said was really below the belt and I couldn't believe it, he was totally in the doghouse.

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Melody crying into the toilet bowl, her arms wrapped around the seat.

"Honey, don't cry, it's ok. Everybody gets a little too drunk at some point or another I'm sure. I know I did. There was this one night with my brother and Dale-"

She popped her head up and looked at me. "I'm not crying because I'm drunk! I'm crying because this all failed miserably!"

I looked at her in puzzlement. "Huh? What are you talking about? What failed miserably?"

Melody took a deep breath before speaking, her tears stopping for now. "I got really drunk so I could tell you that your behavior last night was despicable and how dare you treat me like that?!"

"Melody, I-"

She shook her head, cutting me off. "No! I'm talking! You have a lot of nerve! First you flip the hell out, then you act so cavalier about the whole thing. When you said that you wanted to see my bathing suit on the floor, I was tempted to just knee you in the balls right in front of everybody."

"I wasn't hiding from anything. Well... I was but I wasn't. I figured we could discuss it later, I wanted you to enjoy the party."

"How could I with all this bullshit in my head? It's the only thing I can think about and I can't stop! How could you do this to me, especially after giving me such a fabulous birthday getaway with all my friends? What if this is the real you and you've been lying all this time?"

"You couldn't possibly think that." Her words were starting to scare me, especially since I had no idea what she would say next.

"I am so mad at you right now, Gareth!" She started swatting at my arms and chest for a moment before stopping herself. "I'm mad that you're making me doubt who you really are and that I'm jumping to conclusions on everything! You freaked me out last night, I kept my cool but I really thought you were going to hurt me. I swore to myself that I would never ever get in the kind of relationship my parents had before they got divorced and I hate feeling so vulnerable after everything we've already been through, I thought that phase was over. This is not what I wanted, it wasn't supposed to get this way!"

Melody buried her face in her hands as the tears started up once more, breaking my heart all over again. It made me wish that I had never taken the Molly, that I didn't overreact like I did.

"Please don't cry, my love." I pulled her into my embrace, wrapping my arms around her even tighter when she tried to push away. "I'm sorry, you know how sorry I am. I didn't mean to lash out like I did. This is one of those instances where I don't have a reason to explain my actions, it just happened, mainly thanks to the ecstasy."

"How do I know it won't happen again?" Melody asked in between her tears. "You think that I'd ruin what we have just to spend the night with some guy I hardly know? I would never!"

"I know you wouldn't. You have to trust me is all. We've had fights before and we're going to have them again. No couple is perfect; Rick and your sister are probably fighting right now. This was all just a series of unfortunate events happening in the wrong place at the wrong time." I lifted her face up so we could see eye to eye, seeing the black mascara tears that stained her lovely face. "You know me better than this, I was high. Before we left, I promised that you would never again have to go through what your mom did with your dad and I meant that."

When I thought back on what I had said and done, I understood why she had been fearful of me. Even though I didn't know who her father was until a month after we started dating, she mentioned the way he would act and some of his backstory.

Phillip was a workaholic who was hoping Charlotte would give him a son and was traumatized that she had Melody instead. His first wife Cailinn had a daughter and attempted to pass it off as Phillip's until he caught her cheating on him. A paternity test proved that the girl was not his and they got divorced, and he remarried Charlotte a year later.

He was a great provider to Lori and Melody (especially since Lori's dad Tony had been killed in a car accident when she was nine), but once Melody started having problems when she was three, he couldn't accept it and help. Phillip told Charlotte that they should institutionalize her or put her on dangerous medications, saying that a short life on a controlled substance would be better than a life full of issues.

Of course, Charlotte was vehemently against it, and the more Melody acted out, the more Phillip and Charlotte fought, he had even hit her on a few occasions. The Silverstone women had an unfortunate history of dating abusive men. Rachelle had accidentally murdered her first husband in self-defense when she raised a gun at him, and then there was Melody's brief tryst with Shane, no wonder she was feeling like I had betrayed her trust.

"I can promise it won't happen again with us, that things will never get that out of hand. If I lost you, I don't know what I'd do. No jealousy is worth it. You're my whole world and I love you."

I leaned in and kissed her, my hand still on the back of her head.

Melody tried to push me away. "Gareth, wait, I need to brush-"

I shook my head, laying her down on the cold tile floor. "I don't care."

She soon reciprocated, her hand on the back of my neck as we slowly kissed.

Life was never easy and there would always be hard times, but I had to remember that our love was so strong that it would prevail over whatever problems we had.

**_LORI_ **

"Get the fuck away from me, Rick! I don't want to see you!" I threw my suitcase at him as hard as I could before locking myself in the closet. It had started with my clothes, now it was a suitcase, anything to get him out of the way. Unfortunately, he managed to dodge everything with grace and began pounding on the door.

"Lori, stop it! We're gonna talk about this or I'll break the door down!"

"What's to talk about?! You clearly stated how you feel, not to mention embarrassed me. What do you have to say for yourself?" I was practically red I was so enraged, my adrenaline at an all time high. "What about all the nights that I stayed awake worrying about you? You weren't the only one that sacrificed for Carl. Let's not forget what I did as well."

"Then why did you do it, Lori?"

"Because it's what I wanted! I wanted to have a child and be married to you! I've always wanted to spend the rest of my life with you, for as long as I can remember. I love you, Rick, but you fucked up big time! Not only did you embarrass me, you looked like a moron!"

I was safe from my annoyances behind the closet door, free to let my tears fall. Yes, I had sacrificed what would have been a thriving ballet career to have my child, but I know why I did it. It had been done for love and for the dreams I did want, so a family foundation could be built for us. Sometimes I have regrets, but there would never be anything in the world that would make me want to trade Rick or Carl.

After a couple minutes of silence, I could feel him sliding down against the other side of the door. "You know I don't act like this, but I am sorry I mistreated you. I've been stressed out with work and everything. I lost sight of things, I just wanted to have fun. I love you and the kids, you're my reason for living. Can you open the door? Please?"

Life was too short to have grudges over such small things, especially when I knew how he really was and that this wasn't it. With a heavy sigh, I opened the door to find Rick's open arms waiting for me.

"I'm sorry, Lori." He whispered into my hair as he held me tightly. "I love you."

"I know, and I love you, too."

In the end, love conquers all, I just hoped it would always be enough.


	40. Busted at the Disco

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gareth and Melody make amends; Billy and Gareth bond; Melody gives Alex a semi-makeover and introduces him to Delilah's best friend; Rick has an interesting proposal for Lori; Following leaked videos of Rick and Melody, Woodbury is in a crisis, which results in an explosion from The Governor.

**Hi everybody! Again, sorry I took so long, but I finally broke my writer's block! What did we think of the season premiere? I actually liked the black and white to color ratio, but the premiere felt like it was missing something. Not my favorite.**

**Alex has a bigger part in this chapter, the actor is on this new show I watch called _Quantico_ , which is super good. His hair is straightened in it, which he should have done on _The Walking Dead_ because it would have been more believable that he and Gareth were brothers haha.**

**Delilah, Billy, Philip and Lilly have returned, along with a surprise cameo from _Forever Rising Phoenix_! So i have decided, thanks to the inspiration of my good friend bluecrush611's story, to eventually do a collection of deleted scenes of _Stubborn Love._ It will mostly be from Beth's POV, but there will most likely be one from this chapter, too!**

**_Chapter Forty: Busted at the Disco_ **

**_6:00 pm_ **

**_MELODY_ **

The amethyst-blue sky was swirled in shades of pink, orange and yellow, encircling the setting sun. One of my favorite things to do (and photograph) was watching sunrises and sunsets, and the one lowering on the Vegas strip was breathtaking. It brought about feelings of serenity, which were much needed at the moment.

I tried to avoid looking at myself in the ceiling mirror, knowing my eyes were probably bleary from crying and my face an absolute mess. While I had started off blaming Gareth, there was really nobody to blame but myself, I knew what I was doing drinking that much, allowing my demons to emerge. At least I learned a valuable lesson, albeit the hard way.

Glancing over at Gareth soundly sleeping, he looked exactly like he did as a little boy in the pictures I've seen. Would our son look like him? Despite everything that happened, I still see a future for us and consider myself pretty lucky to have him, but we had been pretty close to losing each other today.

What if it gets like this again?

I banished the thoughts out of my head and softly stroked his bangs out of his face, but he still managed to wake up.

"Mel-"

"Shh. Go back to sleep, my love. You need it." While he hadn't said anything, I could tell he was exhausted. The Molly and my drunken antics seemed to have taken a toll on him, which had me wracked with guilt.

"Hi, beautiful." Gareth sat up in bed, looking at me through half open eyelids. "How are you feeling?"

"Stop. I look like a trainwreck, I'm sure. For as long as I live, I will never get that drunk again. It's ironic considering I don't even drink that much. As to how I'm feeling, surprisingly well but still guilty. I'm so sorry about everything, Gareth. It was really immature and selfish of me to call you out in such a manner in front of all our friends."

"And Crash." Gareth rolled his eyes. "I know, Melody. We're not perfect, and I'm sure by now our friends think we're nuts. You're justified, I'm the one who owes you the apology, I feel like "I'm sorry" isn't enough."

"I know, we both are, but I think we've spent too long on this and that we should move past it and enjoy the rest of our weekend."

Yes, things were still tense between us, but what good would dwelling do? We were in Las Vegas to celebrate, not fight, therefore we should be picking up right where we left off.

Gareth nodded. "I agree, we should." He motioned me to join him. I laid down, laying my head in the nook of his arm as his other arm wrapped around my waist.

"Like you said, all couples fight. Delilah and Billy have racked up a greatest hits list. Next time you see him, look at his right thumb."

"What about it?"

"A few years ago they got into a huge screaming match in a parking lot and she accidentally slammed his thumb in the car door and sliced it open." I remembered when this happened, how Delilah had been hysterical that she ruined Billy's college basketball career because he had to get stitches and wear a splint.

"Wow. She seems really down to Earth, I could never picture her doing that."

I couldn't help but scoff over his naïveté. "Oh, Gareth, you've got a long way to go with getting to know this family of mine. We're all half a bubble off, we just have to work extra hard to conceal it, and that includes Delilah."

A knock on the door interrupted us. "Come in." I was hoping it would be Lori, but who walked in was the next best thing.

"Hey hey, birthday girl!"

Delilah and Billy walked in holding hands, making it almost hard to believe they had just travelled halfway across the world because they looked so chic in jeans and leather jackets.

"Hey, guys! I'm so glad you're finally here!" I smiled, relieved to see my cousin at last. She had been so busy lately, which was understandable. How she manages to juggle all the facets of life and career is beyond me, but she does.

"Hi, Gareth. Did we come in at a bad time?" Delilah asked.

He shook his head. "Nah, we were just chilling out. When did you get here?"

"About fifteen minutes ago. Gareth," Billy nodded his head behind him. "let's leave the girls to talk amongst themselves. I'm jet-lagged and need a drink."

Gareth looked over at me, to which I nodded. "Go, I'm fine."

"Alright."

"I'll see you in a bit, Chickpea."

"Sounds good, Babeadee."

Billy leaned in and sweetly kissed Delilah, but what started as one kiss turned into a full blown make out session, Delilah pressed against the wall and Billy's hands on her face, the two of them clinging onto each other.

"Are we like that?" Gareth whispered in my ear, which I couldn't help but laugh over.

"I think we definitely give them a run for their money." I cleared my throat loudly, causing them to look over at us. "Should we leave? Did you two want the bed?"

Delilah blushed and shook her head. "No, sorry. It's just been a very long few weeks." She gave Billy one last kiss. I suppose Gareth and I did have passion like them, it's all about that young love, but ours came about in a much shorter amount of time.

"See you in a bit, Tiger Lily." Billy smacked her on the butt as soon as she turned around before again motioning to Gareth. "Come on, dude. Let's go grab that beer."

As soon as the boys left, Delilah closed the door, a look of mischief on her face. "You better tell me every last detail, cousin."

**_GARETH_ **

"How's the album coming?" I asked Billy as I walked around the bar to grab us some cold ones. It still felt strange that such a famous musician was so friendly and chill with me, but I rather liked it. Everybody was off doing their own thing, so we had the downstairs to ourselves.

"Finally done, thank goodness. The last track was this duet with Beyonce that's going to be killer. I'm just relieved that our schedules are simultaneously free for the next month. If anybody needs a break more than me, it's Delilah."

"Yeah, I bet it was grueling working on _Game of Thrones_. That's HBO, they can afford doing as many takes as possible to make everything perfect."

"It was definitely the experience of a lifetime, that's for sure. So tell me about this Crash character. I saw the picture on Instagram but I heard about the little spat with Melody."

I shook my head in confusion. "What? H-"

"Your brother told us everything the second we walked in. No offense, I know he's your brother and all, not to mention it's only my second time meeting him, but he's kind of got a big mouth."

I smiled, breathing a sigh of relief. "None taken. You're right, he does and I've always said that it's going to get him into big trouble one day. Anyways, she said that she was knocked into his lap and I believe her, but the way she was looking at him whenever they talked is what scared me the most. I'm the only one she looks at that way... Or at least I was."

"You still are, she loves you. I get it, Gareth. Being jealous, then getting paranoid that something might happen. You think your situation is bad? Try watching your wife have nude shower sex with Leonardo diCaprio and give James Franco a blowjob, knowing that the entire world is going to see it. Plus, there were all the times Angelo tried to feel her up during a performance."

Billy gritted his teeth with that last sentence. Melody had told me all about Delilah's dance partner, who I haven't even met and didn't need to meet to know that he had the hots for her, but Delilah never thought anything of it and set him up with Billy's ex girlfriend, Jennifer. Things seemed to be going well, but I could tell Billy was still bothered by the past.

"Ok, you take the cake there, buddy. Cheers, I guess, to hot girlfriends and wives." We laughed, clinking our beer bottles and taking a swig. "I really lost sight of things, man, and it really scared her."

"Whatever happened earlier seems to be calmed down by now. Delilah and I have gotten into some pretty nasty fights, too. I even have battle scars." He held up his right hand and stretched out his fingers. Melody was right, his thumb had a scar on it and looked a bit mangled.

"Holy crap, man!" I composed myself, not meaning to sound so juvenile. "Sorry, it's just that-"

He shook his head. "It's fine. We're practically family, don't hold back. Besides, most people have that reaction. I call it an injury of passion."

"Sure looks like it."

"We're in Vegas, we need to kick it up a notch and have some fun. Tomorrow, let's give the girls a spa day and we'll cruise the casino. What do you think?"

"I'm down. I did pretty well today, who knows what could happen tomorrow?"

Even though it's only the second time we've hung out, I enjoyed Billy's company. He was right, this was my vacation also, and I should enjoy it.

**_AN HOUR LATER_ **

"Whoa there. Who is this foxy gentleman in front of me and what have you done with my boyfriend?"

I looked up from the bathroom mirror to see Melody walk in wearing a skimpy butterfly cut-out top adorned in pink, blue and gold sequins that tied up two ways in the back, bell bottom jeans that accentuated her heart shaped ass, and sparkly black platforms.

"I could say the same for you, pretty girl. Are you sure I don't look like an idiot?" We were going to Studio 54, which meant that all of us had to get dressed up. Jumpsuits, sequins and dresses for the girls, angel's flight pants, polyester and leisure suits for the guys. At Melody's insistence, I was a walking Tony Manero from _Saturday Night Fever_ , complete with the white leisure suit.

"No! Not at all, you look hot." She walked over and unbuttoned the first few buttons on the shirt. "How are you? You're good?"

"Yeah. I know things got pretty crazy today."

Melody nodded. "They did, especially with me. I'm feeling a lot better now and I just think we should make the most out of the rest of our weekend here. Besides, how often will we have this opportunity? There's so much back in L.A.."

"I couldn't agree with you more. Also, I'd like to add that you are the most gorgeous girl I've ever seen with a hangover."

"Thanks, babe. By the way, don't think you're out of the woods with me just yet. Tonight, you and I are going to go _Saturday Night Fever_ and lead a dancer just like in _Boogie Nights_ but to "Staying Alive" instead of "Machine Gun".

"Are you serious?" I was tempted to laugh, but I was also embarrassed, not just from wearing this suit, but now having to be a show pony. Then again, I did it every summer of my young life, what was one more night?

"Oh, you better believe it. I'll be by your side, we'll have fun."

"Well, so long as you're wearing that, I have no complaints."

I was just about to kiss her when Alex barged in, slamming the door behind him, a goofy grin on his face.

"Dude! I've been struck by Cupid's arrow and little angels are singing, because I'm in love!"

"With who?" I asked, nearly choking on a laugh.

"A red headed goddess, that's who. She's got a velvet honey Mississippi accent, absolutely insane curves n' thickness, and the most amazing boobs I've ever seen!" He glanced over at Melody and shrugged. "No offense, Mel, but these put yours to shame, makes them look like little apples!" Alex laughed as he held his hands out to pantomime breasts. "They're bigger than your head! And I forgot about her slamming donkey tray ass and tiny waist! She's a black guy's dream in a white girl's body. I have to have this chick."

"You're talking about Madison, she's one of Delilah's best friends. I can tell you right now, approach her like that and she'll turn your ass upside down. Madison doesn't take any bullshit."

Alex's smile faded away, looking disheartened. "What am I going to do? I've never had this kind of experience before. Now I know what Gareth felt the first time he saw you, Melody, and look how happy he is. I know I joke around a lot, but I want that for myself, I really do. Will you please help me?"

I knew that my brother meant every word he said, especially since he confided in me recently that he was sick of being alone, or as he so eloquently put it, jerking himself to sleep every night. What surprised me is that he always went after plastic chicks that looked like they'd be better suited on the stripper pole, pin thin with fake boobs, but maybe he's having a change of heart.

Melody sighed before grabbing him by the hand and led him over to the bathroom mirror. "Come with me. It's not just about what's going on in your head. You've got to be the complete package, and you're already looking pretty spiffy with your threads." Alex was wearing a darkish grey, almost black suit and a dark purple button up silk shirt.

"Is it incest if you want to have sex with your future sister-in-law because she's so amazing?" He innocently asked.

 **"YES!"** We both shouted, mainly to shut him up. He looked down on his feet in embarrassment, but I wouldn't be surprised if even after Melody and I are married for fifty years that he'd make some lewd comment.

"Sorry."

"Hold still." After combing his hair, Melody centered his face to look directly at her. "I have wanted to do this since the day we met. Keep in mind, I've never done this on a man before." With a deep breath, she teased his locks of hair before transforming them from unruly curls to sleek straightness with her three-in-one wand. She looked over in the mirror and let out a squeal.

"EEEE! Oh, my god! It looks so good! Can't you see the difference?"

Alex looked over in the mirror as she straightened the rest of his hair with lightning quick hands. "Wow! It kind of looks like a whole new me!"

"Totally. Now you two actually look more alike with the new hair."

I nodded. "Yeah and the five o'clock shadow gives a nice touch, bro. Not looking so stonerish now, huh?"

"Yeah, you're right. Thank you so much, Melody." He wrapped her up in a hug, where I could tell he was tempted to untie her butterfly top, but he didn't. Maybe he is changing.

**_FIVE MINUTES LATER_ **

"Hey, hey, hey! Who is ready to boogie on down to Studio 54 and love the night life?!"

Everybody cheered as Melody walked down the stairs with me and Alex linked through either one, certainly exuding the regality of her persona.

"Girl, we've been waiting to start this party since before you were born!" Said Jennifer, Billy's ex girlfriend. From what I had been told, she had tried to sabotage Delilah's relationship with Billy at the beginning, but after getting into a tussle with her, they've actually become best friends. With her dirty blonde caramel hair, steel colored eyes and tallness, she could have easily been mistaken for Jennifer Lawrence. Angelo had his arm affectionately wrapped around her waist, maybe he's changed, too.

"Don't I know it? Hey, Madison," Melody broke away from me and dragged Alex over. "there's somebody very special to me that I'd like you to meet. This is Alex, Gareth's younger brother."

Madison's hazel eyes sparkled, flashing her toothy grin and big red lips. "Osh Kosh Bgosh, aren't you just the cutest thing from here to Jackson?! I see you've taken after Big Brother over here in the looks department." She nodded her head over to me, which was shocking. Out of the two of us, I was always the stud and Alex was the doofus, but I suppose everybody needs their day in the sun.

Alex laughed nervously and started stammering. "Th-th-th-thanks. Hi, wow, you have beautiful eyes."

I grabbed Melody's hand as Madison whisked Alex away. "Looks like a match made in heaven with those two."

"Yep, he found somebody just as kooky as him, kind of like how you and I fit each other so well."

"I couldn't agree more with that."

At the end of the day, no matter what happened, we had that to fall back on. That we were both so messed up that it made us perfect for each other.

**_THREE AND A HALF HOURS LATER_ **

**_STUDIO 54_ **

**_LORI_ **

I let out a yawn as I watched Melody and Gareth get down on the dance floor with their friends. After doing some dancing of my own, I decided to take a breather, my feet were killing me. Honestly, I didn't remember being this tired when I was pregnant with Carl. Then again, I was only eighteen and had lots more energy.

"Hey, babe. Here's your ginger ale." Rick and Daryl walked up and sat down on the couch where I had been for the past twenty minutes.

"Thank you." He kissed me on the cheek as he handed me my glass before sitting down. While Rick had definitely sobered up, things were still a bit tense between us and I was trying to make the best of it however I could. "It's amazing how those two go from yelling at each other back to being head over heels."

Rick laughed as Melody was slinking her body down on Gareth from behind before whipping her hair around and planting a huge kiss on him. He put one hand on her hip and the other on her face, pulling her in closer as she kissed his whole face and messed with his hair.

"They remind me a lot of us when we were dating."

"That's young love for you."

"It kind of gave me an idea." Rick leaned in closer. "I was thinking after the baby is born we could renew our wedding vows."

My mouth was tempted to fly open, this was an absolute surprise. Our first time around wasn't really much of a wedding. It had been more of an elopement in Niagara Falls and then a going away party before we moved to San Diego. We both had regrets about not doing something more traditional, but this was the first time Rick brought it up.

"Are you serious?"

"Of course I am! We could have a ceremony with all our family and friends during the summer, both kids would be there and we could go all out. We certainly have the money now. What do you think?"

I started nodding, a huge smile on my face and happy tears in my eyes. Everything before was irrelevant, because he knew that our love and our family meant more than any party days he could have had. "Yes! I do, I do!" I wrapped my arms around his neck and gave him a passionate kiss, feeling overjoyed right now. Things weren't always perfect, but I knew that when all was said and done, Rick truly was my soulmate.

**_CALABASAS, MONDAY, 3:30 PM_ **

**_RICK_ **

"Man, I am beat. It's a good thing we don't have to go back to work until tomorrow. All I want to do is be a lazy ass until then." Gareth said as the group got off the party bus. We had all just returned from Vegas, leaving the fun times and mayhem back there. Overall, it had been an interesting weekend, especially for Melody. Everybody else had been dropped off at their houses, now it was just me, Lori, Gareth, Melody and Alex.

"Speak for yourselves, boys. I don't have to work until Thursday, I'll probably devour _A Storm of Swords_ by then." I had let Melody borrow the _A Song of Ice and Fire_ books, which _Game of Thrones_ was based after, and she had taken an immense liking to them. It reminded me of when she was little and always had her nose buried in a book. I remember one time in particular that Lori had to unpack her entire backpack because she didn't need ten books going into Disneyland.

"I'm lighting a big doobie and calling my lady when we get back." Alex grinned, still enamored that the vivacious Madison had taken a liking to him.

"Carl? Mom? We're home!" Lori shouted as we walked in through the front door. "What time is it? They should be here."

"I don't know, my phone has been on silent since we left Vegas."

"Mine, too, which we all know is rare for me. I've been so consumed in this book." Melody grabbed her phone and gave a puzzled look "There's like fifty missed calls from my dad. I wonder what's going on?"

"We're here!" Charlotte said as she and Carl walked down the stairs. "Sorry, Carl was tying to show me up at _Grand Theft Auto_ , but he's got nothing on his grandma." She nudged his arm. "Not so old after all, huh?"

"I've got just as many from Shane." I had no idea why he had called so many times, it seemed out of the ordinary. As I pressed his name and heard the ringing, I hoped it was nothing too serious. "Hey Shane, what's-"

"Rick, man, we are totally fucked!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Shane, calm down! What the hell is going on?!" Everybody looked over at me wondering what had happened. I had never heard Shane sounding so erratic.

"That video of you in Vegas has gone viral. We've been losing clients left and right. Kleenex, Versace, Billabong, Target-"

"Fuck! Are you kidding me?! How did this happen?!"

"Look it up on _TMZ_ , _Huffington Post_ , it's everywhere! It was on _Access Hollywood_ this morning! You gotta come in here and do damage control. Bring Steve Jobs, Jr. with you, he's easy on the voice."

"Alright, alright. We'll be there in half an hour or less." I turned to Gareth. "We gotta go to Woodbury, there's a crisis."

**_MELODY_ **

**_Daddy_ **

**_Call me in the next fifteen minutes or have your phone shut off._ **

I gulped nervously as I dialed my father, completely in the dark as to what I had done that was so wrong. He cancelled the call to FaceTime me instead. I tried my best to put on a brave face as the call connected.

"Hi Da-"

**"MELODY JASMINE BLAKE! WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE?!"**

I nearly jumped hearing his tone and seeing his angered face, as did everybody else who turned around.

"Dad, what's going on?"

He chugged down a tumbler of scotch on the rocks and slammed it on his desk before addressing me. "Don't play dumb with me, young lady. Canoodling with strangers? Dirty dancing? Bikini hula hooping?! You've made yourself a scandal!"

My dad didn't drink that often, only when it was social or he was stressed, so I knew it was the latter. "I swear, I have no idea what you're saying. Please, tell me and we can talk this over!"

"We can't, talking never did you any good! No daughter of mine would do what you've done, and this wouldn't have happened if you were with Ben! You were a mistake and have brought me nothing but shame. Now you're bringing Rick down with you?! This is all because of that fucking idiot! You couldn't pick out a proper boy if your life depended on it. First with Randall and now Gareth."

"Dad, stop it! Leave them out of this, they had nothing to do with it! You're overreacting!"

He smiled evilly at me, a look I knew all too well that still gave me shivers. "Once I'm through with you, I'll be going after your precious boyfriend next. He won't be able to so much as get a job making French fries at McDonald's by the time I'm done!"

"No! I won't let you! Whatever happened it's my fault and I'm owning up to it! Why are you trying to destroy my happiness for your own gain?!"

Dad refused to answer me, he just kept talking. "I've about had it with your shit, Melody. It's one thing to ruin your own life, but to drag my name through the dirt as tabloid fodder is unacceptable. I'm cutting you off."

My eyes widened and I nearly choked, in deep denial over what I was hearing. "WHAT?! Daddy, no! Please!"

Lori snapped her fingers, holding her phone up on _TMZ_ 's homepage, where I saw a picture of me and Rick rocking out with Daryl and Rosita at the pool party, the headline reading "California Governor's Daughter Parties Hard in Vegas for 21st Birthday.". I felt all the color drain from my face, flabbergasted and frozen in my fear.

"Phillip, stop it! You sound insane!" Lilly tried to grab the phone from him, but failed.

My mom walked over. "Phillip, whatever happened, I'm sure it isn't life ending. Melody is a responsible adult. There's no reason to lash out at her like this!"

"Yes, there is! You can blame yourself, Charlotte. I told you years ago to have that girl institutionalized, but no, you said it wasn't right. Turns out I was right all along!"

My attention refocused on my father. "This was a mistake, I didn't do anything wrong! Daddy, I'm sorry! Please don't do this!"

"No, it's final! From now on, you're on your own, like you should have been years ago. The insurance, the phone, your car, all of it! Your sisters, whom you'll never be seeing again, along with Lilly, will be getting everything when I die, and don't even think about getting an estate lawyer. Dr. Milton's notes will prove my point that you're mentally unstable and there won't be a judge in California that will grant you a dime!"

"Dad, you can't do that to me! I'm your daughter!" My eyes flooded with hot, salty tears, unable to believe a single word. How could a father be so cruel and malicious towards his own daughter- no, his first daughter? He wasn't even giving me a chance to explain myself. "Please don't keep me away from the girls! They're my sisters, I hardly see them as it is!"

"It's over, Melody! If you so much as try to contact them, I'll slap a restraining order on you! I don't want them tainted by their disgraceful excuse for an older sister!" With Lilly still yelling at him in the background, he hung up the phone.

The only indication that my heart was still beating was the thumping I felt in my chest, everything else had been tuned out. I slumped to the floor in tears, burying my face into my knees.

"Why is he doing this to me?! What did I ever do that he hates me so much!"

My mom and sister wrapped me up in a hug from either side in an attempt to comfort me.

"Please don't cry, darling. I know it's hard and I'm sorry your father is like that." Mom kissed my head, I could feel her tears mingling with my own.

"I am so glad I stopped talking to him once you guys got divorced, because now he's really dead to me." Lori said.

"How could this have happened, who got the footage?"

The next thing I heard was the sound of strained breathing, looking up to see that Gareth had both hands gripped around Alex's neck.

"You did this, you loud mouth son of a bitch!"

Alex shook his head, trying to pry Gareth's hands off of him. "It wasn't me, I swear! I wouldn't do that to you."

"Gareth, stop! He didn't do it, I know he didn't."

"Maybe it was somebody at the hotel, like the staff?" Carl said. "Or somebody at the party?"

"Melody, _Access Hollywood_ has a video." Rick added.

"I need to see it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

I watched as Billy Bush and Kit Hoover appeared on the screen. "Has California's little princess gone wild n' crazy in the city of sin? These pictures seem to support the claim! The newly twenty one year old arrived in style at The Palms with a group of her friends and boyfriend Gareth Mandel in tow, who later presented her with a stunning Cartier Love bracelet. This picture of the young couple was posted on her Instagram, but will they have the same fate as the beloved Khal and Khaleesi on _Game of Thrones_?"

The pictures switched from us walking into the hotel to the picture I had of me and Gareth kissing next to one of Daenerys and Khal Drogo, with "Moon of my life" and "My sun and stars" underneath, followed by a clip of Daenerys smothering Drogo with a pillow.

Kit followed next. "The lovebirds then hit popular night spot Terminus where Melody was seen cozying up to _Face Off_ winner Crash Bridges, whose next project includes the untitled _Hunger Games_ prequel. The next day included a party at the Playboy Villa with Melody doing some blast from the past dancing with her brother-in-law, Woodbury Communications co-owner Rick Grimes alongside porn stars Daryl "Dick's On" Dixon and Rosita "Senorita Caliente" Espinoza." There was a video of me and Rick doing The Robot in front of Noah, "Turn Me On" by Nicki Minaj and David Guetta blasting. "Who knew that the business mogul could get down and party like that?" She said with a laugh.

"That's not all. Melody proceeded to shake her tail feather later that night at Studio 54, where things between her and Gareth seemed to have been patched, as the young couple couldn't keep their hands off of each other, so who knows what's going on with Crash?" The next picture was one of me and Gareth kissing at 54.

"So what do you think about this, Billy?" Kit asked, to which he shrugged.

"I think it's just some fun mixed in with craziness, but who knows what Daddy Phillip Blake has to say about his eldest daughter? We've reached out to Camp Blake, who have declined to comment."

"Oh, my god. This is terrible, my life is a mess." Frantically, I scrambled to me feet and grabbed Gareth by the arm, my tears springing all over again. "Gareth, you have to get out of here, right now. Go, go!"

**_GARETH_ **

"Melody, what are you doing?! Stop it! I'm not going anywhere!"

I tried to stop her, but she kept pushing me out the door.

"Listen to me! We can't be together, I am not worth your career being destroyed over! I'm not going to let my bullshit bring you down!" She was sobbing, still trying to push me, but I wrapped my arms around her tightly. "You need to leave! I don't want this for you, you deserve better!"

"Listen to me." I put my hands on her face, wiping away her tears. "I'm not going anywhere, no matter what you tell me. I've made enough money to last us for a long, long time, but I don't think your dad is going to go that far."

She shook her head. "No, Gareth. You don't know my father like I do. He's ruthless and conniving, he'll stop at nothing to get his way. He doesn't even care about me yet he's going to destroy my life. What am I going to do?" Melody burst into tears again, burying her face in my chest as she fell to the ground, taking me with her.

Being no stranger to having a strained relationship with their father (or in my case, no relationship at all), it was shattering to see a man go through such extreme lengths to bring down his daughter. Right now, Melody needed me and the rest of us more than anything.

"Melody. Everything will be ok, and if he does go through with this, I'll take care of you. I would never leave you for anything in the world, even if it meant losing my career. Money doesn't matter to me, all I need is you and Autumn Montana. Rich or poor, without my two girls, I'd be dead."

"What are we going to do now, Gareth?"

I didn't want to admit this to Melody and further upset her, but a part of me was scared that Phillip was serious, it was only natural to feel that way. Except I knew that I had made enough to be financially comfortable and take care of Melody and Autumn Montana. I'd put her on Woodbury's phone and insurance plan, which I'm pretty sure she was already on, and look into getting her a car. She was going to be my wife one day and already was my family. Some people might look at it as enabling, but when you love somebody, hurt is kind of part of the package and you'll do everything to heal them.

"We're going to get through this together, I promise, baby. I'd never let you drown or be alone again."


	41. Merry Cheer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following the leak of the Vegas videos, Melody and Gareth have an early Christmakkuah celebration with their families at Merle's house, with many fun surprises in store.

**Hi everybody! Sorry this chapter is short, I wanted to get it out there though, not the best day today :(. Everybody that was at Thanksgiving is at Christmas except Rick's family.**

**_Chapter Forty One: Merry Cheer_ **

**_THREE DAYS LATER_ **

**_Merle's House, Brentwood, 7:00 pm_ **

**_MELODY_ **

"Wow, I don't think I could eat another thing if I tried." I said as I leaned back into Gareth's arms, who was leaned up against the end of the couch.

Since Merle was taking Mom to both the Italian and Swiss Alps until the day before New Year's, we were having an impromptu Christmas gathering at his house before they left tomorrow while Billy and Delilah were leaving with the twins on Christmas Eve to go Steverson Ranch in Texas for Christmas morning.

The festivities started earlier today with going to see  _The Nutcracker._  It's been a tradition since before I was born, getting dressed up in our winter finest and taking a limo to Long Beach where we had V.I.P. orchestra seats. A gathering of mothers, daughters, grandmothers, granddaughters, sisters and cousins, much needed female bonding with old and new faces. This year, we were joined by Mary, Carol, Sophia, Lizzie, Mika and Autumn Montana. Sophia was thrilled to be spending the afternoon in Delilah's presence and Autumn Montana and Serena hit it off, the two of them trying to do a 'la turns in front of the Long Beach Performing Arts Center.

After the ballet, we commenced with the guys and Andi (who was finishing up a last minute order and missed the performance) at Merle's for dinner, feasting on huge deli spreads. Sandwiches of roast beef, pastrami, and turkey on rye or egg bread, not to mention all the delicacies my mom and aunt made. Brightly frosted and sprinkled holiday cut-out sugar cookies in different Christmas and Hannukah symbols, loaves of ginger and cranberry bread, and my personal favorites, chocolate chip cheesecake and sour cream coffee cake, both of which Lori and I made with Delilah and Christine.

Now, we were all relaxing in the family room with mugs of hot chocolate with mini marshmallows and eggnog, the older generation on the couch with the young adults and kids on the floor, a crackling fire toasting up the room and Christmas songs softly playing on the stereo. The only downside was that Uncle Axel was here, my mom caving in at the last minute and inviting him out of pity. He mostly kept to himself, watching some sporting event on a handheld TV, which was probably for the best considering Lori and I still wanted nothing to do with him.

"That definitely hit the spot. Mom, Aunt Charlotte, you really outdid yourselves." GM said.

Aunt Rachelle smiled. "Well, I told you it was my goal to get some meat on your bones and I meant it."

"Alright, let's get back to the presents, gang. The youngins' are a-waiting." Merle said, handing out shiny boxes to the kids, gold PS4s for the boys and pink tablets for the girls.

I think one of Merle's biggest regrets was not having a child. Maybe he does but just doesn't know it yet. Even if Merle and Mom had a child now they'd be senior citizens by the time it graduated. Perhaps he was compensating with the kids tonight. He had really gone all out. The backyard had been transformed into an interactive ice castle with real snow and a live action cast of Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, and Hans to sing the songs from  _Frozen_ , along with a moose as Sven and an animatronic Olaf.

I cherish family first and foremost, but nothing warmed my heart more than my mother. Her smile was radiating love and joy, exuding Christmas spirit. It had been so long since we had seen her this happy, it reminded me of how things used to be when we would host Christmas at our house.

"This is really terrific, it's what family is all about. I am just taking it all in, because Gareth and I are going to need it when we go to Chernabog's house!" I threw my head back, laughing heartily.

Hours following our explosive conversation, my father had sobered up and called to apologize. He said he overreacted, that he wouldn't be cutting me off or blackballing Gareth, and still expected us on Christmas Eve and the Red Cross Ball next month. Even though he apologized, I could feel the insincerity of it, that he still wanted to blame it all on me.

"Honey, you really shouldn't call your father that. Then again, lets hope that he takes it out on that gold digging Lady and the Tramp the same way he did on me, but I'm sure he'll retire his horns for the evening."

"You should let me meet The Gov'nah, Charlotte. I could probably knock him around and hopefully he'll gain some sense." Merle said as he wrapped his arm around Mom, giving her a kiss on the head.

Daryl snickered. "That would be a fight I'd definitely put money on, bro."

"I second that." Andi added.

"My dad said he was not in the best of moods at the National Governor's Conference last month, he actually got into a pissing contest with the chairman over raising taxes." Billy looked over at me, rocking a scruffier look with shorter hair and five o'clock shadow. "He's not really running for President, is he?"

Delilah rolled her eyes. "Oh, jeez. If he wins it'll be like having Frances Underwood in office. No offense, Meme."

I'm glad that she and Billy weren't annoyed with me. I hadn't received Delilah's voicemails and text telling me that they had been hounded by paparazzi at LAX asking about me (they left Vegas the night after 54 while we left on Monday). All they said was that everybody was having a good time and it was harmless fun.

Right now, they didn't even seem affected, Delilah curled up in Billy's arms on the floor watching the twins playing with Autumn Montana and Dante. They really were made for a lifestyle of the rich and the famous.

"None taken. All I can say is if he does, he'll have to change parties, I don't know how much longer he can be a closet Conservative for. Is your dad still planning to run?"

"Sure is." Billy's father Vance was the current Governor of Texas, succeeding his father in the position, not to mention being an intelligent and very charming Josh Lucas lookalike. With his smooth Southern accent and overall wit, I could absolutely see him in the White House.

"Any man that can knock the lights out of that S.O.B. is my hero." Grandma Jun-Jun said.

"Enough." Grandma Frances interjected. "That's your father, Melody, and he was a father to you too for a long time, Lori. You shouldn't be talking badly about people when they aren't here to defend themselves."

Lori and I exchanged looks with Mom, Aunt Rachelle, Christine and Delilah. Out of anybody, Grandma Frances was the biggest shit talker of them all. I was about to open my mouth when Dante beat me to the punch.

"Dog-ee! Dog-ee!" He let out little baby giggles as Rambo, Merle's German Shepard, gave him a bath of slobbery kisses.

"You got me a Ferrero Rocher!" Autumn Montana squealed as she tore the wrapping paper off of a mini Ferrari, officially reverting the ambiance to pre-argument.

I could feel Gareth smiling behind me. "It's Ferrari, Autumn, Ferrero Rocher is chocolate, and what do you say to Grandma Jun-Jun?"

She waved her hand out at Gareth. "Daddy! Who do you take me for? I know what to say!" Autumn Montana walked over and hugged Grandma Jun-Jun. "Thank you, Grandma Jun Jun!"

Jun-Jun had gotten the cars for all the younger kids, Ferraris for the girls and Escalades for the boys. For the rest of the ladies, we all got dangling De Beers earrings encrusted with diamonds and our individual birthstones, Sophia nearly fainted when she opened hers. The guys got silk Valentino ties in blue and grey along with Dior cuff links. Being a former New York socialite, she had married well (four times to be exact) and was worth a pretty penny, which is why she was devastated that my mom didn't come to her for help when we lost everything.

"Oh, you're welcome, honey!" Jun-Jun gave Autumn Montana big kisses on the cheeks before pinching them. I knew right away she would go crazy about Gareth's daughter, and who wouldn't? She's so stinking cute! "Look at those cheeks! I could eat them up, you're such a little dolly, just like your uncle over there." She nodded her head at Alex.

"I'm not Uncle Alex! I'm so much cuter!"

"Hey, speak for yourself, squirt! I am all that, a bag of chips and a Diet Coke! Ask my girlfriend." Alex posed on the floor, taking a selfie. Ever since I introduced him to Madison, he had totally changed. He kept straightening his hair and traded his baggy pants and hoodies for fitted jeans and blazers with Oxford shirts, along with wearing eye glasses sometimes to make himself more sophisticated. She was back in Tennessee for the holidays, but they were nonstop texting and I happened to know for a fact that they got pretty wild back in Vegas, having walked in on them mid rim job.

Of course, there are some things that never change. Right before dinner, he and Jun-Jun offered up some freshly rolled joints, with me, Gareth, Billy, Delilah, Daryl and Carol joining in. Luckily, nobody was catching on.

"I'm crushed, Alex. I was ready to snatch you up and take you back to New York to be my live in boy toy! We'd be the envy of every washed up socialite and fame hungry Nancy boy in the city!"

"Ha, if it falls through, I'm all yours." Alex winked at her.

"Hey, Autumn Montana, what about that big one over there?" I pointed to another huge box behind the Christmas tree. "It's from me and Daddy. Carl, can you grab it for her, please?

"She's going to love it, I'm so glad you convinced me." Gareth whispered in my ear as Carl pulled the box out. I looked over my shoulder at him and smiled.

"Well, it's what every little girl wants. How are you doing?"

This week hasn't been easy for us, with all the phone calls, questions and speculation. I had been unfortunately forced to come clean to Gareth and my family that the paparazzi had been following me around since I started going by Blake.

After  _TMZ_  and  _Access Hollywood_ , there were leaked pictures all over the Internet of me working out at the gym, walking the dogs with Lori, even at the grocery store or out with Gareth from that day at Starbucks, which led me to believe that it was one of the faces from my past to sell me out. Maybe the press was looking to finally divert from the Kardashian dynasty that swept the world by storm, but I hadn't done anything to deserve it.

The only good thing to come out of this was that  _Forbes_  called Gareth wanting to do a profile piece on him and his rising career. I could tell he was embarrassed that the possibility of me cheating on him with Crash had been assumed by the masses, but he hid it well.

"I'm perfect, sugar. I'm surrounded by family and friends with my baby girl and my babe. What more could I ask for?" He smiled, wrapping his arms around my chest, pulling me in tighter and kissed me on the cheek as we watched Autumn Montana squeal with delight over her present.

"A horsey!"

"Her name is S'mores and she's just like a real life pony. You can ride her and feed her and she even breathes real air!"

The FurReal Pets life size pony had been brought to my attention a few years ago during a demonstration at Target, I knew this was the perfect gift when Gareth and I were stumped after having gone shopping and returning with everything but a perfect present. Every little girl wants a pony, and now Autumn Montana had one in brown and white.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, Daddy and Melody!" Autumn Montana jumped in my lap, throwing her arms around both our necks and giving us kisses.

"We love you so much, honey." I said, stroking her hair affectionately.

"Merry Chrismakkuah, peanut." Gareth added.

"Gareth," Delilah nudged him when Autumn Montana asked Carl to take S'mores out of the box so she and Serena could ride it. "she is such a sweetheart and absolutely adorable. Have you thought about putting her in a beauty pageant or getting her involved with modeling and acting?"

"She did a couple local ads and a few pageants back in San Francisco, but nothing major."

"You should totally get her involved! Billy's older sister and I run Perfection 4 U, it's a side business that specializes in beauty pageant coaching, makeup and custom outfits, since we're both veteran beauty queens. Kayla has been running it by herself since my film career took off, I Skype in sessions when I can, but we can totally take Autumn Montana under our wing. Free of charge of course, anything for family."

That was one thing our family and Billy's had in common: All the women at one point or another participated in a beauty pageant. It had helped Mom and Aunt Rachelle land jobs as Radio City Rockettes for a couple years, Kayla's second runner up at Miss America 2000 got her recruited to be a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, it certainly helped Delilah's career, and Lori was Miss Teen California when she was seventeen. I did them when I was younger but my outbursts prevented me from furthering things in my pageant future.

"I agree with Delilah, A.M. is a beautiful child, you should put her in one of the kid friendly ads."

"I'll definitely think about it, I know her mother would say yes hands down."

I hoped that he would agree to it eventually, it would be a great experience for Autumn Montana, she already had the confidence shining through at such a young age.

Looking around the room, it was astounding how things can change. A year ago I was in my own isolation and now I'm with the people I love most in the world, I'd rather die before losing this all.

**_LORI_ **

"Melody, open mine next."

I stretched across and grabbed my present from under the tree, handing it to my sister.

"Ok! No problem. Open mine with me?" She grabbed a box and smiled.

"You got it."

I opened the box and pulled out a figurine of Elsa and Anna holding hands in the snow and looking at each other, "A Sister's Love Warms The Heart" was written on the side.

"Oh, my gosh! You got me-"

She pulled the identical figurine out of the box, both of us looking at each other and flabbergasted before we started laughing.

"We got each other the same thing!"

Still laughing, we leaned over and hugged each other. When I saw the figurine advertised from Bradford Exchange, I immediately thought of my sister. She mentioned something after she got back together with Gareth about how we were just like Elsa and Anna, and I could see it.

"I love it, Lori. Hey, maybe we should get their hair painted so they look more like us."

"Ha, maybe, but I kind of like them how they are."

"Me, too. Ok, now this last gift is for all of you. Rick, Lori, and Carl." Melody crawled over to the tree, poking around in the back, posed rather provocatively.

"Dude, how many times do you tap that luscious ass doggy style?"

"Alex!" Gareth smacked him across the head. "It's Christmas, man! You can't go one day?"

"Oh, Shesus, is he talking about my butt again?" Melody crawled out, handing me, Rick and Carl blue boxes as she made her way back to Gareth. "You're a taken man! Eyes off!"

He shrugged. "I'm sorry, I can't help it that my future sister-in-law is sexy as hell."

"Very funny." Melody glanced over at us. "Open the boxes, guys."

"What is this?" Carl asked, pulling out a red short sleeve button up shirt with white hibiscus flowers all over it while Rick pulled out a white shirt with blue hibiscus flowers. My box had a beautiful green maxi dress with sequined pink hibiscus flowers.

Melody and Gareth looked at each other, huge smiles decorating their faces as they rapidly tapped their hands to their thighs in a drumroll style before stretching them out to the sides.

"We're sending you to Hawaii!"

**_RICK_ **

I looked down to see an envelope fall out of the shirt. Opening it, there was a first class ticket inside to O'hau, Hawaii.

"Are you serious?" I wanted to laugh I was so happy. These past couple days had been nothing but stress. Due to the video, we had lost some of our most valued clients. Kleenex and Target were easily swayed back with the ideas we had for future ad campaigns, but we were just barely on the tail end of damage control. Luckily, not everything was a complete failure. Carlotta Chopra, the half Latina/half Indian singer that had become a worldwide sensation, was launching a lifestyle brand of products from alcohol to bedding and needed a firm to handle advertising and marketing. If the meeting in January went well, it would be Woodbury to do just that.

"Of course we are. First class all the way and the 2-bedroom villa at Disney Aulani."

"When are we leaving?" Carl asked.

"Same time as Charlotte and Merle. Abraham and Eugene will be driving you guys to the airport. You'll be gone for ten days."

Lori shook her head. "No, I-"

"No, Lori. We've got everything taken care of. I know that we've discussed going on a vacation, but Mommy and I decided we shouldn't go. This is one of the last times it'll be a vacation with the three of you, before Judith comes along." Melody said. "Who knows, maybe you'll be there when they're filming  _Hawaii 5-0_. Mmm McGarrett." Her tongue hung out a bit, to which Lori gave her a playful shove.

"Stop think of Coach Scott, Melody!"

"What?! I can't help it, the man has a great ass!"

"Anyways," Gareth continued. "this is an incredible vacation. We have you guys booked for a catamaran experience, horseback riding, a hike of the Manoa Valley Rainforest and Boom Forest, tours of the North Shore and its volcanoes, a helicopter ride around the island, snorkeling, scuba diving, surfing lessons, jet skiing, a spa day, whatever you want, it's on us."

"Surfing?! That's freaking awesome!" Carl high fived them excitedly.

"Why?" I asked Gareth.

"Why?" He smiled. "I've always been big on paying it forward, and thanks to you I have the means to do just that. Rick, not only are you my boss and mentor, but I consider you a close friend, also. Without you, none of this would have been possible. I wouldn't be able to provide for my family the way I'm able to, and I most certainly wouldn't have Melody without you guys. That and you work your ass off every day, you deserve the break. Martin and Shane and I have everything under control at Woodbury."

Gareth really was a good guy and genuine person. He had come such a long way from being in the bull pen at Woodbury to practically running the place by my side, handling this whole crisis with such ease. The more I saw him in action, the more I wanted him as my partner. Shane will always be my best friend, but he still continued to be withdrawn and when he wasn't he was nasty. It certainly gave me a lot to think about, and I definitely needed the vacation, all of us did. I know one day I'll be returning the favor.

**_THE NEXT NIGHT, THE GRIMES' RESIDENCE, 6:35 PM_ **

**_GARETH_ **

"Melody! I'm here!" I shouted from the laundry room as I walked inside. We were watching Rick and Lori's while they were in Hawaii with Carl. I was looking forward to spending the whole week with Melody playing house.

Kato, Mugsy, Butterscotch and Simba all came running up, nearly tackling me to the ground with their greeting.

"Whoa! Hey, guys!" I petted them all until they calmed down and went their separate ways, but Melody still wasn't down here. "Meme! Where are you?" I walked into the foyer, looking around.

"Right behind you."

When I turned around, I felt my face flush and my mouth fly open.


	42. Cohabitants

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gareth and Melody spend a night alone together and discuss the future.

**Hi everybody! Today is my niece Penelope's birthday! She's the Judith to my Daryl, and Norman Reedus' stand-in/body double liked my picture on Instagram! Follow me rocknrollprincess131! Sorry this is yet again another short chapter, mostly filler and lots of Garody fluff! I'll make up for it in the next chapter, which will be Christmas Eve with The Governor and a few surprise guests! I'll also be trying to update _Forever Rising Phoenix_ soon!**

**I wanna give a special shout out to 6980085LMFAO, Headwalkerz, Joshua the Terminian, pen123, Prettyprincess45, and SilverSun09. Please check out their stories, because they are freaking awesome! Enjoy the chapter!**

**_Chapter Forty Two: Cohabitants_ **

**_GARETH_ **

Melody was standing at the top of the staircase wearing a short red velvet dress trimmed in white fur around the breasts and at the bottom, black knee high suede boots, and a Victoria's Secret pink satin Santa hat adorned in rhinestones. Pressing the screen on her phone, "Santa Baby" began to play.

"Hi, handsome."

"W-wow! Holy smokes!"

"You like it?" She asked, coming down the stairs, the song still playing.

"Do I like it? Duh! Of course I do. Where'd you get this dress? It's hot. How come you don't dress like this more often?" The dress lifted and separated her breasts and clung to her curves perfectly, making me drool.

"Oh, it's just a little something I've been saving for a special occasion, which this is. Do you know why?" Melody wrapped her arms around my neck, giving me a sweet kiss.

I hugged her back, running my fingers across the velvet. "No, but every day I'm with you is a special occasion."

"Gareth, we have the ENTIRE place to ourselves!" She squealed, her dimples popping from her wide smile. "We can pretty much do whatever we want, and I'm going to have you on ever square inch of this house." A lascivious twinkle in her eye, she kissed me madly, her hands fumbled frantically until yanking my belt off and tossing it on the floor, clinking on the tile.

"Melody-" I tried to talk in between kisses. "Don't you think we should-"

She shook her head. "No, I have to have you right here, right now." Kissing me arduously, she pulled us down to the floor and tossed her phone to the side, straddling me as her hands travelled up my chest and arms, kicking my pants off. "I've been thinking about this all day." Melody nibbled on my lip, making her way to my neck. I groaned, gripping her waist.

"I love it when your naughty side comes out. It's fucking hot."

"You're fucking hot." Her hand wrapped around my cock, gently jerking me. She was about to guide me inside when Simba started sniffing us and licking behind her ears. "Simba, no!" Melody tossed her hat off. "Play with that instead!"

I laughed. "This would only happen to us."

"They're preoccupied now, it doesn't matter." Melody sat on me, nestling herself in my lap as she started to roll her hips. I tried to control the movements, but she smacked my hands away.

"No! Don't touch yet." Melody accidentally smacked me across the face, taking me by surprise as she went even faster.

"Ow! Babe!" I rubbed my cheek, not knowing whether to be insulted or laugh.

"I'm sorry. I'm just so turned on right now." She was practically bouncing on me now, flipping her hair all around before wrapping her legs around my waist with her knees underneath my arms and her hands balling up the back of my shirt while she licked the right side of my face, grinding herself into me.

"Oh, yeah! I love riding your huge dick! It turns me on, you're so undeniably sexy, Gareth."

"I am?" Hearing that I was sexy wasn't something I was used to, only in the past year, especially from girls.

"Uh-huh. I remember the first time I saw you thinking "Damn, he's hot! Break me off a piece." Come on, you know you're- Oh, my god!" Before I knew it, she was breathing heavily, her walls tightening around my cock as she held onto me for dear life, riding out the tidal wave of passion. When her body stopped quaking moments later, I repositioned us against the wall.

"Did you just-"

She nodded, trying to catch her breath. "Uh-huh. I know I did. I was thinking about you when I was with Ser Hemsworth Blue Hutcherson."

I gave her a strange look. "Who the hell is that?"

"My vibrator. It's named after Chris Hensworth, Callum Blue and Josh Hutcherson." She tousled my hair. "You have to remember that before you came along, I was single for a very long time, which led to a lot of lonely nights."

I couldn't help but smile over how positively cute she was. "Well, you don't have to worry anymore because there won't be another lonely night again now that you've got me. And speaking of me, I think I was just deprived my orgasmic rush of lust."

Melody threw her head back laughing as I laid her down on the tiled floor and resumed the erotic activity we were previously engaged in...

**_AN HOUR AND A HALF LATER_ **

"Are you sure you don't want me to help with anything?"

Melody shook her head, grabbing a bottle of wine from the refrigerator before mincing the garlic and turning the chicken over on the griddler. "No, all I want you to do is sit there and look pretty."

"Isn't that your job?"

"Hey, I'm the whole package. Looks, smarts, AND I can cook. The proof is in the pudding, or in this case, the sauce. Be my taste tester?" She asked with a smile, still in the post coital glow, having changed from her sexy Santa outfit to a ribbed long sleeve shirt, cotton shorts and tall UGGS.

"Of course."

Melody blew on the spoon as I walked over. The sensation of spicy richness danced on my tongue, making my mouth salivate in the most delightful way. "Wow, that is really amazing sauce. What's your secret?"

"I can't tell you or else I'd have to kill you. Here," she stopped stirring to pull out a wine glass from the cupboard and opened the bottle. "unwind and have a glass of red. It's a 1965 Domaine De La Romanée-Conti. Very good year so I've been told."

"If you insist." I poured myself a glass of wine, swirling it around before taking a sip. "You really don't need to go all out for my benefit."

"Why not? I want to do something special. Besides, it's like every time you watch a movie or show and somebody offers to cook, it's always pasta. Mine is different because it's chicken skilletini."

"You have a point there and I know it's going to taste superbly."

"That and pasta is kind of my weakness, next to cupcakes. I swear, I could just eat both those for the rest of my life, but I've been pretty good lately."

"Well, it's thanks to the pasta and genetics that you have this luscious figure, my Italian goddess." Downing the rest of the wine, I walked up on Melody from behind, moving her hair to the side as I kissed her neck, my hands going up her shirt and roughly groping her breasts.

"G-Gareth." She breathed my name out in intoxicated lust, further arousing me. Turning around, she wrapped her arms around my neck, indulging in a high school make out session. "I'm in the middle of making dinner. You don't want it to burn, do you?" Melody asked in between kisses.

"Forget dinner, I'll just eat you instead. I could survive on only you, beautiful." Pelvises perfectly aligned, my thumbs hooked into either side of her shorts, ready to pull them down when I was stopped, Melody's hands on my chest.

"Later, I promise. I don't want to wear you out all at once."

"You could never wear me out, but I'm sure I've worn you out before."

She scoffed and rolled her eyes, lightly smacking me on the chest. "As if! You've only got seven years on me, don't boost your ego that much." Melody walked back to the stove, putting the bell peppers and mushrooms into the pan. "I used to hate being called curvy, it just drove me up the wall. Now, I think I'm the best of both worlds, toned and curvy."

I eyed her up and down, taking in every delicious feature. Her high arches, smooth legs, curved ass and voluptuous breasts, I couldn't get enough. How could she ever have an insecurity in her life when she had been blessed with such an amazing body? It didn't matter now, because no matter what Melody thought, I was the reminder of how much I loved her from head to toe.

"I couldn't agree more."

**_TEN MINUTES LATER_ **

"I think they're rumors, too. Like why suck the teat of the cash cow, they're already doing _Better Call Saul."_

"You're right, I mean they ended it so perfectly that anything else beyond would ruin the show's legacy."

"Exactly. Then again, I wouldn't mind seeing more of Aaron Paul." Melody sighed dreamily. We were sitting at the kitchen table, lights dimmed and candles lit, she had really gone all out with making me dinner. Either way, it was really sweet and relaxing.

I smirked. "Ok, ok, I get the point. Jesse is cool, or as your mom calls him "Wee Petite".

Melody laughed, covering her mouth with her hand. "I hate when she calls him that! So what if he's short, he's freaking gorgeous! His hair in the first few seasons really complimented his face and those crystal blue eyes. I don't care what you guys say, he's a hottie!"

"Should I be worrying here? How do I know that you're not imagining Aaron Paul when we make love instead of me?"

"Don't be an ass, Gareth. I'm a one woman man. There's not a single person or thing that could drive me away from you, my love."

"Ditto. Wow, you were right. This really is outstanding." Melody's chicken skilletini was the bomb, along with her homemade garlic bread, and I already knew that she had vanilla cinnamon gelato waiting for us afterwards.

"Thanks, it's a recipe of my mom's. The line of great cooks in the Silverstone family ended with Lori and was revived with me."

"Ha, she's not so terrible. Maybe just with pancakes, but I'll take your word for it."

"As you should. I always wanted a pasta maker. My life skills and home-ec teacher, Mrs. Neudermyer, would go on and on about how her old pasta maker was the greatest thing before it died."

"Did she ever get it fixed?"

Melody shook her head. "Nope, because I came up with the idea to start a collection amongst her classes and we raised enough money to buy her a new one. It was a Cuisinart, but I would want a Williams-Sonoma. I remember the look on her face, she was overjoyed."

"That's a nice story. You're a real sweetheart, you know that?"

She shrugged. "Eh, I try."

Melody really had all the qualities of the perfect woman, at least what I thought was a perfect woman. I don't think I always remember how truly lucky I was and I'm pretty sure she also felt lucky with me. Why continue to be separate when there really was no reason?

"Move in with me, Melody."

**_MELODY_ **

"What?" I nearly choked on my food, Gareth's words caught me off guard. We had discussed the future, quite frequently as a matter of fact, but I didn't think he'd already be asking me to move in.

He walked over, crouching down and taking my hands in his.

"Yes, it's only been three months, but I don't care. Our love is already so strong that time really shouldn't matter. I don't want us to be apart. I want to fall asleep with you in my arms every night and wake up to you every morning, come home to you instead of one of us driving to the other's house, so we can have more nights together like this. I've always been a go-getter and what I want is you. You are the most adorable creature I've ever come across and why should we wait any longer to make the next step? We're in this for the long haul and the time is now. I mean, I've made so much money I should be putting it to good use and towards our future. Albert's always bragging how he's got such great listings, we can find the perfect house and then rent a place while it's being renovated. I was going to ask you with a key but I couldn't wait a moment longer. What do you say? Can we please move in together, Melody?"

His look had been serious the whole time, but when he was done speaking, the brightest smile graced his face. Meanwhile, I was about to burst from the happiness. Gareth was right, why should we wait any longer? We already spent so much time together as it, and after being alone for so long, this is definitely what I wanted. I smiled, nodding my head.

"Yes!"

Gareth's smile widened, if that was possible. "Yeah? Really?"

"Absolutely, I will!" I flew out of my chair and into his lap, covering his face in kisses, both of us laughing. Gareth already was my everything, but with a place all our own, we would be each other's home.

**_MIDNIGHT_ **

"Mmm, yeah, baby! Don't stop, I'm there, I'm there!" I moaned heavily, practically screaming as I held onto Gareth while we were completing the end of our ride to Orgasm City, his climax joining mine. After we finished, we looked at each other, trying to catch our breath, covered in the sweetest of sweats and tangled in the sheets of Rick and Lori's bed.

"God, I love making love to you." He murmured, kissing my breasts and up my neck.

I smiled lazily, spent from the erotic exertion. "Me, too."

"You're so warm and soft, I love holding you afterwards."

"I love it, also." I sighed, content, before letting out a kitty cat yawn. It was my goal to have sexy time in every room of the house, Rick and Lori's room was the last spot after Carl's. For some reason I felt very mature being with my boyfriend in a married couple's bed.

"This was a terrific evening, Melody. Very relaxing."

We had worn the other one out, now even too lazy to turn the TV on, just cuddle in the darkness.

"Good night, Mr. Mandel." I snuggled in close as his arm wrapped around me.

"Good night, future Mrs. Mandel." Gareth kissed the crook of my neck.

I smiled to myself, grabbing his hand and giving it a kiss. Hearing that made me think back on the night of our first date when Beth said "Melody Mandel" had a nice ring to it. I fell asleep dreaming of wedding bells and first dances, which would hopefully come sooner rather than later. Things were finally in order for me and I wanted them to stay that way.


	43. Not So Glad Tidings, Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gareth and Melody attend Christmas Eve dinner at The Governor's house, where Melody sees her younger sisters for the first time in over a year. A surprise from her father sends Melody on a revenge trip. Part One of Two.

**Hi everybody! I know that Thursday was _Stubborn Love_ 's one year anniversary (I can't believe it's been a year already!) and I meant to update but I had surgery that day. It's kind of on the DL so if you want to know more message me. I've been totally out of it, I finally got around to doing some writing yesterday. I picture Tammy Faye Baker for Grandma Rose and maybe Michael Douglas for Grandpa Bud.**

**As far as the Morriseys go, I did the best I could, I don't know them too well and it was more about Philip.**

**Thank you so much for everybody that has followed and reviewed this story for the past year, making it the highest reviewed Gareth story! I wanna give a special shout out to 6980085LMFAO, Headwalkerz, Joshua the Terminian, pen123, Prettyprincess45, and SilverSun09. Please check out their stories, because they are freaking awesome! Enjoy the chapter!**

**_Chapter Forty Three: Not So Glad Tidings, Part One_ **

**_Bel Air, Christmas Eve, 5:45 pm_ **

**_MELODY_ **

"Gare, I can't do this. How can I convince you to turn around? I'll B-L-O-W you four times in a row."

"Yes, you can, Melody. It's only for a couple hours. Besides, we have to leave early to drop Autumn Montana off with Theresa and Sam." Gareth glanced up in the rear mirror of my car. "How are you holding up, honey bunny?"

"Good." She was playing with her iPad in the backseat, Pipper and Elsa on either side.

Autumn Montana had been at Gareth's since last Wednesday, but she had been staying with us since Saturday. For the past five days, the three of us had been the perfect little family. We had gone ice skating at the outdoor rink in Topanga, the L.A. Zoo, LACMA, we even managed to squeeze in a two day trip to Disneyland. It was all so perfect.

Cooking together had become a daily activity, dinner followed by watching a movie in front of the fire place, reading a story to little A.M. as she fell asleep with Violet and the dogs curled up at the foot of my bed, and ending the evening with Gareth and I having very passionate, sensual sex in Rick and Lori's bed, falling asleep wrapped up in each other. I was really starting to become attached to this monogamy thing after all.

"Now you know to be on your best behavior at The Governor's house, right? "Please", "thank you", "m'am" and "sir", "May I" not "Can I".

"Of course, Daddy. I remember."

She looked absolutely darling in a long sleeve black velvet dress with a plaid skirt in colors of cream, black, silver and gold with a sheer gold polka dot skirt sewed over it, a satin gold ribbon tied around the waist, black tights and little black Mary Janes. Her hair was curled in a ponytail, clutching her black, grey and pink bedazzled Judith Leiber owl purse that Lori and the guys gave her for Christmakkuah.

"I know you're nervous because of this whole mess, but I don't think it'll be brought up. Your family has more respect for you than that."

I bit my lip, letting out a snort. "Gareth, they hate me. When I had nowhere to turn to, they all rejected me. My grandma Rose said she wasn't allowed house guests, yet she let my cousin and his girlfriend stay there for two weeks, my aunt Sarah said I wasn't trying hard enough and she was the only person to have any contact with me following the divorce." I looked down in my lap, my stomach churning over how unnecessarily cruel they were, except they weren't particularly interested in me before my parents got divorced, either.

"Autumn, put your headphones in, please."

"Ok, Daddy."

She put the buds in her ears and zoned out watching _Masha the Bear_.

"How do you know she's not listening?"

"I know. Autumn Montana, we're getting you a kitten." When there was no answer, he turned back to me. "Now that that's taken care of, what's their fucking problem, why are they all such conceited assholes? I don't understand how they could do that, you're family."

"Neither do I, and you're right. Maybe it's for the best that nobody talks to me, even if it's not one hundred percent by choice."

"Apart from that, I know you're dying to see your sisters. You haven't seen Penny and Meghan face to face in how long?"

"Over a year." I sighed with reluctance. They were my main reason for going, but like Aiden's memorial, these family get-togethers really were the lion's den.

"Don't worry, the time will fly by, I promise. After we drop off Autumn Montana, it'll just be the two of us."

When we pulled up, I saw two heads poking out of the living room window but didn't get a good enough look on who they were. I was overjoyed to see my sisters jumping up and down, delighted shrieks coming from the house as they burst through the door.

"AHH! EEK! Oh, my god! Oh, my god! Melody! Melody's here!"

I couldn't get out of the car soon enough, barely making it up the walkway as Meghan and Penny jumped up in my arms, nearly making me lose my footing.

"Penny! Meghan! Oh, I missed you both so much!" I kneeled down, all of us hugging each other tightly.

"Did you really?" Penny asked.

"We haven't heard from you in so long, we thought you were mad at us. You missed Penny's soccer games and my recitals." Meghan said.

I pulled back. "What? No! Of course not, I could never be mad at you guys." I was still kneeling, studying them with a hand on either side of their faces. They had changed so much since the last time I saw them. "You girls got so big!"

Penny was a few inches taller, her auburn hair was a bit past her shoulders and she had braces on her teeth. Meghan still had the adorable pudginess in her freckled face, her wavy sandy brown-blonde hair hung down the middle of her back.

"Why are you crying, Melody?" Meghan asked.

I hadn't even realized I was crying until I blinked and tears fell down my cheeks. "I'm just happy to see you two is all."

"We really missed you." Penny said, looking over my shoulder and pointing. "Is that your boyfriend?"

I turned around to see Autumn Montana hopping into Gareth's arms after buttoning up her little faux fur coat. I smiled at my sisters. "Yes, he is."

"He's cute. Daddy calls him a know it all liberal pr-" Before Meghan could finish speaking, Penny clamped her hand over her mouth.

"Meghan, shush! You can't let anybody know we heard that or the other thing!"

I suddenly got a bad feeling that my dad was up to something, which I hope wasn't true.

**_GARETH_ **

"Hi, girls. I've heard a lot about you."

I could tell that Melody had started crying when she saw her sisters, and a part of me wanted to cry for her. It was heartbreaking how Philip could be so selfish and keep them separated when they clearly doted on Melody; I was also baffled that Lilly kept tight lipped about the whole thing when she knew how wrong it was. One day, I hoped this would end and that the Blake sisters could strengthen their bond.

Melody stood up. "Gareth, these are my little sisters, Penny and Meghan."

Meghan waved, looking away and giggling while Penny shook my hand.

"Nice to meet you and welcome to our house." She was very mature for her age.

"Why, thank you. I'm glad to be here. This is my daughter, Autumn Montana."

"Hi!" Autumn Montana waved.

"Hi! You wanna play with us and our cousins? We were just about to start a game of Monopoly, we have our coloring books and crayons out, too." Penny said.

Autumn Montana looked up at me. "Is it ok, Daddy?"

I nodded. "Of course, ladybug. Have fun."

"Come on!" Meghan and Penny grabbed either one of her hands and walked into the house as Melody and I followed.

Out of the three of them, Melody was definitely the prettiest. Penny and Meghan looked more like Philip, with fair skin and freckles, but they all had his green eyes. So far, they were both very sweet and polite girls, which I don't get how that was a common trait amongst the three of them when their father was a regal asshole.

"So remind me who everybody is again?"

My nerves were starting to get to me. If the rest of the Blakes were anything like Philip, I was screwed. They'd probably roast me on a spit in the backyard. If Melody thought she was walking into the lion's den, then I knew I had landed in a W.A.S.P. nest.

Looking around, Philip's mansion lacked the warmth of Rick's or even Merle's. Everything was in black and stainless steel, abstract art pieces hung from the walls surrounded by pictures of Phillip and Lilly with the girls. It had turned into a _Where's_ _Waldo_ to find even one picture of Melody amongst them, luckily I found three: One of her and Philip sleeping on a couch when she was two, one of her when she was eleven on a carousel pony, her hair flipped to one side, and the last one was Melody's graduation portrait.

Melody pointed over towards the Christmas tree in the family room that led from the dining room, to a tall man with brownish grey hair, a thin blonde woman, a wide eyed brunette and a man with black hair, all dressed in suits. "That's my uncle Brian, the Chief Financial Officer of Live Nation, next to him is his wife Jocelyn Heriot, the lady with the glasses is my aunt Sarah and her husband Edward, they're political science professors at UC Santa Rosa. I don't know where my cousins are, but the little kids are my second cousins that I've never even met before."

"Wow, they look like a Republican doppleganger dream team. Mitt Romney, Ann Coulter, Michele Bachman and Anthony Weiner."

She laughed. "Yeah, you're spot on with that one. No wonder we didn't fit in."

A stout woman with too much makeup and what was obviously a wig walked up to us, or I should probably say teetered from side to side, along with a taller older man. I'm guessing these were Grandma Rose and Grandpa Bud.

"Melody! Look how skinny you are, just like Lori! Good thing, too, you were getting to be a fat Jewish slob like the rest of the women in your family!"

My mouth flew open as Melody sucked her lips in and nodded. "We've both lost a lot of weight. Thanks, Grandma. Hi, Grandpa." She leaned over and gave them a kiss on the cheek.

"Hello, dear. Unemployment seems to suit you well, but please try to join the norm and the rest of Corporate America and find a job, eh?" He looked over at me and reached into his suit jacket. "Thank you, young man. Your services have been most valued, have a Merry Christmas." Grandpa Blake handed me a fifty dollar bill and I knew right away what he was talking about.

"Oh, I think there's been a mistake, sir. I'm not an Uber driver, I'm Melody's boyfriend, Gareth, and I work for Woodbury."

His frown deepened and he clasped his hands firmly on my shoulders, almost making me stumble. "Young man, I've heard all about you and I hope that you do not suffer in eternal damnation for the sins of your mother."

"Uh, Grandpa, where's my father? Could you please get him for me?"

Grandma Rose nodded. "Come on, dear, let's go have some cheese and crackers."

"Remember, your soul can still be saved." They walked away, I could still feel the tingling in my shoulders.

"Are you ok? I am so sorry about that. He's very religious." Melody walked behind me and began massaging my shoulders.

"I'm surprised more than anything. He's quite cantankerous."

Ever since my mom and Carol got together, Alex and I had become the subject of ridicule from all ages. It resulted in a handful of fights at school, but I knew that my mom and Carol belonged together. I couldn't even begin to imagine what it would be like if either of them stayed with their husbands.

"Daddy," Autumn Montana tugged on my pant leg, causing me and Melody to look down at her. "I'm thirsty."

"I'll get you some juice, A.M." Melody said.

"Hi, hun."

Autumn Montana looked up and let out a shrill scream before bursting into tears, causing everybody to look over at us.

"Oh, sweetie, no! Please don't cry!" Melody said as I picked A.M. up, rubbing her back while she sobbed into my chest.

"The scary pirate is gonna get us!"

We looked over to see Philip standing there in what I couldn't tell was shock or annoyance.

"Dad, what happened to your eye?" Melody asked, nodding her head at his black eyepatch.

"Golf injury. If it hadn't been at the country club, I would have just said I was saving somebody."

"Autumn, don't cry. It's just my daddy."

Autumn Montana looked up, her lip quivering still.

"See? It's alright."

"I'm not a pirate, pumpkin. Here," Philip reached over to the bar and grabbed a multi colored stick. "how about a candy cane?"

A small smile appeared on her face as she took the candy cane. "Ok. Thank you!"

Melody raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure it was a golf injury?"

The Governor nodded. "Yes, it is, Melody. I've got a little surprise for you in the kitchen. Come on, piglet." With a smile, he wrapped his arm around Melody's shoulder, guiding her away from me. She must have been able to sense that something was off, because she grabbed my hand to follow them.

When we walked into the kitchen, I saw a tan woman with brown curly hair talking to Lilly by the stove, a man of average build with brown facial hair, and a familiar doofy looking brunette. Once I finally recognized him, I couldn't believe it. Neither could Melody, who stopped in her tracks.

"Ben? Allen? Donna?"

Ben waved nonchalantly. "Hi, Melody."

"What are you doing here?"

"Surprise!" Philip said, squeezing her shoulder. "Isn't this great? Go on and give the boy a hug!" He turned to me, a shit eating grin on his face. "The Morriseys were going to Nepal to spend the holidays with their daughter Alexandria, but I convinced them to stay behind for some good 'ole Christmas cheer!"

Ben walked over and awkwardly wrapped his arms around her, which she barely reciprocated. "It's good to see you, Mel. You look like you survived."

"How's Yale?" She asked, trying to look away.

"Perfect. I'm a track all star, passing my classes and President of the Young Republicans club. I hope to be just like your father one day."

"Oh, we can count on that, Ben." Philip and Ben both laughed as Philip slapped him on the back.

"Daddy, I'm still thirsty." Autumn Montana whispered in my ear. Melody must have heard, because she snapped out of her trance.

"Right. Ben, this is Gareth, my new boyfriend, and his daughter, Autumn Montana. Gareth, this is Ben, my ex-fiancé, and his parents, Allen and Donna. I feel like I'm in _The Twilight Zone_ right about now." Melody walked to the refrigerator, avoiding everybody as she searched for juice and a sippy cup, stiffly greeting Allen and Donna on the way.

"Go follow Melody, A.M.." I set Autumn Montana down and cleared my throat as I extended my hand, remembering to still be courteous. "Hi, nice to meet you, Ben and Donna. Good seeing you again, Allen."

He nodded over at me. "Likewise." Since Alexandria was still partnered with Woodbury, I had seen Allen once or twice around the office.

All Donna did was shrug and sip her wine, resuming her conversation with Lilly. Ben eyed me up and down, a cocky smirk on his face. "You're my replacement, huh? Wow, she went from JFK to Kurt Cobain. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

If we weren't at The Governor's house and I knew I could get away with it, I would knock this kid into the middle of the next era. Who did he think he was?! For somebody raised in affluence, he was incredibly rude. No wonder Melody dumped him, this kid was a spoiled narcissist.

"Well, I play big to win big. Your loss is my gain, Ben. You've got the Ivy League but I've hit the jackpot." I clicked my tongue and winked, leaving him flabbergasted and me oddly fulfilled.

"Thanks, Melody!" Autumn Montana walked out of the room with her sippy cup.

Melody gracefully stormed over. "I'll be right back. Dad, I need to speak with you. NOW." She yanked Philip by the arm and out of the kitchen.

"Gareth, would you like something to drink?" Lilly asked, which was exactly what I needed.

I nodded. "Yes, please. I'll have a beer, thanks."

**_MELODY_ **

"Dad, what the hell do you think you're doing?" I asked as I flung my dad into the hallway, intense rage practically blinding my vision with red. It wasn't that I had an issue with Ben or his family, I just didn't appreciate the ambush.

"Well, a part of me wanted to prepare for the Red Cross Ball next month, but I figured that seeing Ben would remind you of how things used to be. Allen thought it was a wonderful idea, so you have both of us to thank."

I scoffed in annoyance, rolling my eyes up for a second. "You're unbelievable, you know that? Ben and I have both moved on, why can't you and Allen accept that and be happy for us?!"

"Because that's the type of person you belong with, Melody. What kind of father would I be if I didn't constantly remind you? I think we both know this thing with Garrett isn't going to last, it can't. You don't really think it's going to work with that hipster, do you? I'm right about you being with Ben, you'll realize that in the long run."

"You don't know me at all, so you don't know the type of person I belong with! His name is Gareth and you better get his name right because he will be your son-in-law one day soon enough, we'll be moving in together after New Year's. I love him, I'm going to marry him and you nor Allen and Donna or anybody else is going to tell me otherwise how to live my life!" I stormed off, infuriated with how childish a grown man could be. I know it wasn't right to leave Gareth in the kitchen with the social daggers, but I needed a moment to myself. Throwing myself down on the staircase, my face buried in my hands, wrapped up in frustration.

Most fathers would be thanking their lucky stars to have a guy like Gareth dating their daughter, and my own dad was deeming him as completely unworthy. I knew Dad was ruthless and cruel, but he's now proved that he is completely devoid of any heart or soul. How on earth had he become California Governor?

"Melody?"

I glanced through the balusters to see Lilly walking over.

"Oh, hi, Lilly."

"Are you alright? I'm sorry, I had no idea they were coming until they were at the front door."

"No, I've all of a sudden got a blasting headache." I rubbed my throbbing temples.

"I'm sorry, to both of you. It wasn't fair to Gareth, either." She looked at me with sad eyes, which I could tell were genuine. "Why don't you go lay down? We kept your room the same. I'll let you know when dinner is ready."

"Ok, I will. Thanks, Lilly."

She smiled and squeezed my shoulder. "No problem, dear."

While she was appearing concerned, I don't know how sincere her motives were. It could be for her benefit or to look good to my dad, I'm honestly not sure. All I knew was that right now I just needed to get away from everybody.

**_FIVE MINUTES LATER_ **

I walked upstairs, looking around at all the work that had been done since the house had undergone a huge renovation around the time Mom lost our house. I couldn't help but feel depressed, especially since my sisters had no idea what really happened.

The office/fitness room was large with one side of it having a treadmill, an elliptical, and various weight machines. The other side had the largest size iMac available on a mahogany desk. Framed jerseys and balls in glass cases were on the gym side while pictures of my father with celebrities and important political figures were on the office side. In addition to the sports memorabilia, Dad also collected artifact katanas in elaborately painted Japanese fish tanks.

"Melody."

I looked over to see Gareth walk into the room.

"Hey, how did you-"

"Lilly told me where you were and I just figured I'd take my chances in finding you."

"I don't even know why I came in here. This is my dad's office/fitness room. He combined the two so he'd never be separated from the gym and the work space, he always said he got his best ideas when exercising."

"Wow, he's certainly the organizer and collector." He checked out everything in the room, staring at the baseball bats and basketballs before a pair of Kobe Bryant's signed sneakers caught his eye.

"Yes, he is. Gareth, I'm sorry I left you back there, it-"

He shook his head and walked up, wrapping his arm around me from behind. "No, it's ok. What's going on?"

I was glad he was behind me because right now I couldn't look at him, I was worried I would start crying, my aggravation at an all time high.

"My father is an ultimate prick, that's what's going on. He thought that if I saw Ben again I'd want to drop everything and revert to life as it once was." I leaned my head back on his chest. "Why is it so hard for him to accept my life and my decisions? What, would he rather me be miserable with Ben than be happy with you or does he just not care?"

Gareth ran his hand up and down my arm. "He's a control freak, that's why. Not only that but it seems like he wants you to be some reformed subservient housewife, same for Ben."

"How can you tell?"

"Ben has "self centered asshole" written all over him, that's why. I gotta ask, what did you ever see in that guy?"

I silently laughed. "Hey, it wasn't a total disaster. He had a sweet side but then just became consumed by his ego. For a while I tried to convince myself I was happy, but I wasn't and it's why I ended things. Surprisingly, he was all for it, I don't think he ever really loved me either, rather the idea of me. It's so unlike his parents. Despite that his mom has no personality and his dad comes off kind of a dick, I know they love each other very much." I put my hands on Gareth's face, staring into those sweet green brown eyes. "With us, it's different. In regards to your feelings, you've never pretended to be something you weren't and that's one of the many things I love about you."

He smiled. "And it's how I'll always be."

At that moment, I really couldn't have loved him any more than I did right now. After being desolate and single for so long, my pain was over. I pushed Gareth up against the wall, kissing him passionately, like it would truly be our last kiss. He put his hands on my shoulders as I began to nibble on his neck.

"Melody, wait. We shouldn't do this, not in here. Your father will chop my head off with one of those very sharp katanas he has on display in his fish tanks."

I shook my head, getting on my knees and undoing his belt. "No, he's too preoccupied discussing and planning a future that will never happen."

"What if we get caught?" His voice cracked, an indicator he was nervous. "You've already done it once today, I don't want you to strain yourself."

Looking up at him from my position on the floor, I realized that I really had lucked out. Gareth always had my back and my best interests, he cared about me. Even if my dad refused to acknowledge it, it's something I would never be blind to.

I stood up, kissing him again with everything I had, but this time out of everlasting love instead of insatiable passion.

"I don't care nor will I ever care what my stupid father or the rest of those Republicans or anybody else in the world says. I love you and you're mine. What we have, it's what love really is. Gareth, you've spent your whole life taking care of everybody. Relax and let me do this for you."

I got down on my knees again, wanting to show how much I love the man in front of me. He's made me the woman I am today and I couldn't imagine a life without him.

"It's not that, sweetheart, it's- Oh, damn!"

I cut him off, licking his erect member, sucking it all the way, playing with his balls. Gareth moaned heavily, half stroking/half tugging my hair.

"You give the best head. Mmm, Melody, suck it. Suck my cock, babe."

I laughed as I chewed softly on the head before moaning, the vibrations driving him crazy.

Underneath pictures of my dad with President Obama, Donald Trump, Sarah Palin and Tony Robbins, I gave my wonderful boyfriend the blowjob of all blowjobs, sucking and deep thrusting with such precision. Although, there was something else I had in mind for us to do...


	44. Not So Glad Tidings, Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Melody and Gareth act out their immoral lusts, only to be busted by Ben. After revealing that he is running for President, Melody calls out her father on how he is a two-faced opportunist. An offer from The Governor offends Gareth, who later spends a wonderful Christmas Eve alone with Melody.

**Hi everybody! Sorry this took forever to update. I KNEW GLENN WAS ALIVE! Also, NOT HAPPY ABOUT THE RESSIE/JESSICK KISS! SHE IS SO WRONG FOR HIM! Moving on, I want to address something crucial:**

**As some of you may know, for the past almost two weeks I have been targeted by trolls, one in particularly named Libby Putney (and who I'm assuming is also her in disguise since she's choosing to hide behind being a "guest"). Needless to say that I, along with a lot of other _Walking Dead_ writers (and a couple from the _Arthur_ fandom) have also become the subjects of scrutiny and our stories have been reported in the Eliminator's Forum for having mature sexual content. Please watch out for this group! They are relentless cyber bullies that have been constantly harassing writers with threats of story removal and/or site suspension, a couple kids have even been driven to suicide thanks to these monsters.**

**To my fellow writers, in the words of Kimmy Schmidt, we can either curl up in a ball and die or we can stand up and say "We're different! We're the strong ones and you can't break us!" If we're going to be taken down, then they might as well take off the other MA stories that more than half of this site consists of (Yeah, yeah sue me. I know I ended my sentence in a preposition). In the tragic event that this does happen to my stories, I am also on AdultFanFiction, Walking Dead FanFiction, Wattpad and Archive of our Own. To Libby Putney, I am sorry that you were treated poorly on this site before, but if you truly enjoy writing and are good at it, you should't let that stop you. You should turn this into something cathartic, pour your emotions out in your writing instead of acting like an apathetic dictator and if you really want to go after people that break the rules, please come and sit by the stop sign at the end of my street! People driving fail to stop and THAT'S A BROKEN RULE that HAS significance, especially in comparison to what insights you.**

**Thank you so much to my loyal fans! I wanna give a special shout out to 6980085LMFAO, Headwalkerz, Joshua the Terminian, pen123, Prettyprincess45,, SilverSun09 and wolvesyroses. Thank you to Cherry as well and the other guest encouraging me to keep writing. Please check out their stories, because they are freaking awesome! I tried to tone down the content with this chapter, also keep in mind that Gareth has made quite the fortune working for Woodbury, henceforth why he's a yuppie or "yipster" in my case ;P Enjoy!**

**_Chapter Forty Four: Not So Glad Tidings, Part Two_ **

**_GARETH_ **

"I want to hear you talk dirty, Gareth." Melody stopped, looking up at me.

"What? Why?"

"I don't know, I just want it and get nasty. Grab my hair, tell me how I'm The Governor's little whore daughter. I'm a naughty, naughty girl."

While this was all very hot, it had me incredibly paranoid. My body stiffened and breaking out in a sweat, I kept worrying that at any moment my worst nightmare would come true. One minute I'm getting a blowjob and the next my story is on _1,001 Ways To Die_ , "Daddy Hacks Boyfriend's Head Off".

"Melody, I think we should go. This isn't right. What if we get caught?"

She smiled wickedly. "I hope we do." Melody ran her hands up my stomach through the inside of my shirt, her nails lightly racking my skin as she bobbed her head up and down.

"At the same time, you know I can't resist you." Unable to believe what I was about to do, I grabbed Melody by the back of the head, thrusting myself into her face. Lust was winning over logic, and right now I was slowly starting to not care. "Yeah, you like that, don't you? The Governor certainly has a dirty little slut for a daughter, doesn't he?"

"Mmhmm." She muffled a reply the best she could.

"Don't talk." I shoved her on me further, noticing my voice had a dark, husky tone to it. While a part of me was appalled, this was also quite tantalizing. Who knew that porn talk could be so effing hot? "I'm close, you sexy pair of tits on legs. You're not going to be able to handle it. I'm going to explode all over your face, what would Daddy have to say about that?"

Melody pulled back. "No, I don't want you to yet. I want to do what we did in Vegas."

I froze, feeling a bit in denial. "Are you sure? But last time-"

"No, I want to. Hot Lips, we're gonna wreck this place!" She jumped up, wrapping her arms and legs around me as she crashed her lips on mine. Melody pulled back, her fingers entangled in my hair before kissing my neck. "Take me to their bedroom. It's down the hall."

Pulling my pants up the best I could, I kissed her back with the same amount of heat, nearly stumbling down the hall until getting to the master bedroom. Once we were inside, Melody hopped off of me and pushed the straps off her empire waisted red cocktail dress until it was on the floor. She was wearing a solid red bra with matching panties, proving that it wasn't possible for her to get any sexier as my pants tightened and my mouth went dry.

"Gareth," Melody reached her hand down the front of my boxers, stroking me gently. "fuck me in my daddy's bed. Backdoor the California Governor's daughter."

I was powerless to her sexual advances, my loins aching to be inside this fiery vixen, who was mine and nobody else's. "Of course, how else will you learn?" I picked Melody up, throwing her on the bed and flipping her over on all fours. "You need to be reprimanded for being such a naughty, naughty girl." Shoving my pants down, I grabbed her hips and positioned myself behind her.

Melody leaned forward and arched her back up. "Yes, punish me, punish California's little princess."

 

"See? I told you it would be better than the first time." I zipped up my fly, watching Melody fix her hair in Lilly's bathroom. Philip's three polished mahogany watch cases caught my eye, I couldn't help by look inside. They held the Cadillacs of watches. Rolex, Cartier, Patek Phillipe. Silver, gold, platinum, black faces, blue faces, diamond dials, ruby dials, this was a collection of kings. "Your dad has an outstanding watch collection."

"I'm still getting used to doing that, but I can understand the allure." She leaned over on the countertop, slowly applying lipstick.

"Well, until you came along, I had only done it once and never thought about doing it again."

"I didn't think I'd ever do it at all, all the begging was off putting, but I want to do everything with you." Melody turned around, giving me a heart melting smile.

"As I with you."

"I'm not sure what's more shocking, the fact that Beth did it at all or that she did it before me."

"Beth did anal?!"

"I told you she was a freak in the bedroom!"

"You both are, but with her I never would have guessed. Maggie, definitely, Glenn told me as such, but not Beth. What would Hershel say?" I smirked, trying not to laugh.

"Oh, God. I never thought about that. He'd probably lose his head." She grabbed my hand, leading me out of Philip and Lily's bedroom, something of a sashay in her step. "Come on, we should get back downstairs."

"You got it, pretty girl." I pinched her butt on the way out, making her squeal and pull me in for a steamy kiss. "You are so sexy." I whispered in her ear. "I'm counting down the minutes until I can take you home and peel off your clothing with my teeth."

"Wow." She looked down, her face turning red as her shy side crept out. "You keep talking like that I'll have to have you right now... Again."

"I plan on holding you to that."

"Sure thing." We continued walking out of the room. "Honestly, I don't think any father would want to know about his daughter doing that."

"Oh, but he's about to find out."

We looked over to see Ben standing by the linen closet, something of a smirk on his face.

Melody tensed up. "How long have you been standing there for?"

"Long enough to get quite the show. You're pretty ballsy to do that in Daddy's bed, I can't even begin to imagine what he'll have to say about that."

"Ben-"

Melody let go of my hand, almost flying the short distance over and clasped her hands around Ben's neck, gripping him tightly.

"Listen, you flaccid jerk. You're just jealous because Gareth doesn't have the problem you have. I don't know what you and our dads are up to, but it's not going to work. If you so much as utter a word of this, I will shove my foot so far up your ass that my big toe will come out your nose. Do you understand me?!" She practically had Ben lifted off the ground, who was gasping for air trying to pry her fingers off of his neck.

"Yeah, yeah, I promise." He choked out. "Please, put me down!"

"Melody, he's not worth it." I placed my hand on her shoulder in an attempt to calm her down. While I had seen her angry before, this was the first time she was truly livid, I could have sworn I saw steam coming out of her ears. "Let's just go."

After another tight choke, she flew her hands up, making him fall to the ground.

"You should be ashamed of yourself, Ben. I was a good fiancé to you and this is how you show your gratitude?! I would never do this, no matter how much I can't stand you!" She grabbed my hand and stormed down the stairs.

"Are you ok?"

Melody stopped to take a couple deep breaths. "Yes, I'm fine. I'm sorry you had to see that side of me, even though you've seen it all."

"Are you kidding me? That was freaking awesome, babe! My girlfriend the superhero is more like it."

**_AN HOUR AND A HALF LATER_ **

**_MELODY_ **

"This country won't be doing any favors by approving anything when the illegal aliens will just try to reap the benefits. It's a simple solution, get registered to be a citizen of this country and contribute to society like the rest of us have."

"Philip, what is wrong with you?" Uncle Ed asked. "You think that people who make more money should pay higher taxes but you are for marriage equality?"

My father nodded. "While there are those that are against it, it's becoming the norm in society and it can't be changed. Might as well tolerate it than lose more hair trying to fight its existence."

I silently sipped my tea, watching my family of assholes. This evening had turned into a round table political discussion with every single capitalist right winged opinion and solution. It was hard enough to even keep my food down, I was quite on edge. All I wanted was to get the hell out of here and away from all of them.

"So Gareth, where did you go to school?" asked my cousin Austin, Brian and Jocelyn's son.

"American Academy of Art back in San Francisco. My degree is actually in graphic design with my minor being in business and marketing."

"Don't you think you're depriving somebody more qualified of a job? I mean, it was only your minor." Uncle Brian stated.

Gareth shrugged. "I don't think so, it was minor enough to land a deal with Disney and the upcoming cover of _Forbes_ , so it's paid off pretty well."

My other cousin Joshua Lee, Sarah and Edward's son, scoffed. "That's good, but aren't you worried they'll pull it after Melody's recent exposure? I can't imagine they'd want to write about somebody dating a girl working in the porn industry."

Before Gareth could reply, I spoke up. "Enlighten me, JL, how is that relevant? I'm behind the scenes and that's it."

"It doesn't matter, you still are associating with unworthy people that are committing sins on film. Porn is pure adultery, as is your friend Rosita. Do you even know anything about those Dixon brothers?"

I rolled my eyes, annoyed at his arrogance. "She wasn't the only person to fool around with him, she just came forward first. Rosita may be a bit lascivious, but she's a good person who made a regretful mistake. Nobody is perfect, need I remind you about the few you've made?" Joshua had been arrested for a DUI and drug possession, not to mention being discharged from the army for shooting his big mouth off to his lieutenants. His embarrassment made me inwardly smile. "They're all good people who just happen to enjoy sex more than others. Merle and Daryl saved my life and they've even helped revolutionize the adult entertainment industry with having the condom law passed. I'm not my job but I am my career, which is a special effects and beauty makeup artist."

Aunt Jocelyn chimed in next. "Melody, you have to think of it this way: In what way are you making your mark on the world? Will your carbon blue print be remembered once you're gone? Look at the accomplishments of your cousins, your's greatly pale in comparison to their's. Is your work ending poverty or starvation? It seems rather frivolous if you ask me."

"It isn't, it's art. I'm creating something."

"All I'm saying is you're a Blake, a lot is expected. Don't put that name to shame by further making yourself out to be a cretin."

"How am I a cretin, Aunt Jocelyn?"

"By not achieving anything of any substance. Why can't you be more like your sister Lori?"

"You mean a stay at home mom and housewife? I'm pursuing my dreams, and while she wasn't able to, she did find an alternative in choreography, which I help with as well. Forgive me but I fail to see where you've presented a valid point in this discussion."

I dug my fingernails into Gareth's palm so deep he could feel the outline of each one. Once I felt the contact I let go, but he grabbed my hand again anyway, locking his fingers over mine.

My dad cleared his throat. "As much as I hate to disrupt this lovely conversation, I have an announcement to make."

The table grew silent as we looked over at him.

"After much thought, consideration and deep discussions with my council, I've decided that I will be officially changing my political party and running for President in 2016."

Everybody else nodded in approval with Grandpa Blake giving his son a hearty pat and shoulder clasp. "I couldn't be prouder of you, my boy!"

"You've got to be kidding me, right?"

Once again, the room became silent with everybody looking over at me, baffled.

"Excuse me?" Aunt Sarah asked.

"Wait, I know this is a joke. Did _Punk'd_ get renewed again or should I just sit here until Mayim Bialick comes out and says "Smile, you're on _Candid Camera_!"?

Lilly smiled politely. "I'm sure we don't understand what you're saying."

"You don't think your father would make a good president?" Allen asked, to which I shook my head.

"No! Of course not."

"Why not?" Donna was next, and I knew I had thrown myself to the wolves at this point.

"I'm not saying he's not smart enough, because he absolutely is. In fact, I think he'd be able to fix the economy and provide more jobs, probably figure out the whole health care mess also."

"What are you trying to say, Melody?" Dad glared at me from the other end of the table while sipping his scotch, the darkness taking over. "It's a done deal and nothing you say will convince me otherwise. Tom and Mel are already planning fundraisers in my honor."

"Oh Jesus, the wacko Scientologist and the cocky anti-Semite? You'll be having Jew haters off their meds running rampant in the streets. What I'm trying to say, _Daddy_ , is that you have no heart, no soul, and absolutely zero compassion. You don't care at all about the people in this state let alone this country, you only do anything positive to make yourself look good. You're all for marriage equality yet Grandpa acts like Gareth is a murderer because he happens to have two lesbian mothers."

Grandma Rose held a finger up. "And a child out of wedlock, dear. The girl is adorable, but let's face it, she's a bastard. Wouldn't you rather be with a pure boy like Ben?"

"One without a stained soul?" Grandpa piped up.

I ignored their asinine comments and remained focused on my dad. "I mean, you let me be virtually homeless, how are you going to help the public?"

Ben snorted. "You liberals, you think you own the world or something."

All my father did was smile wickedly. "I didn't let you go homeless, just like I didn't steal your money, you can thank your mother for that one."

My anger was through the roof, and the kids playing in the next room was the only thing preventing me from grabbing the sharpest knife on the table and stabbing him in the eye so the patch would be permanent.

"What is your problem? Do you know that Mom never says a bad word about you? She's always trying to pump you up so I can see your good qualities, and you tear both of us down every chance you get."

My mother was a saint, the best wife she could be to him and my father totally took her for granted. She stayed married to him for longer than she should have, enduring almost daily abuse, all for my benefit, not wanting to put me through any more trauma in my little life.

Dad pulled a cigarette out of the holder from his pocket, lighting up. "Melody, your biggest problem is that you're afraid of the truth. If you want to be coddled, I suggest you give your new daddy Merle a call."

It's official, he's the most apathetic, cruel minded person to ever walk the earth. Sometimes I feared it would eventually rub off on me. "While we're speaking the truth, if you were elected into office, it would be like having Tywin Lannister as the President. This country would be doomed."

"Who?"

Gareth cleared his throat. "He's an antagonist on _Game of Thrones_ , sir."

" _Game of_ what?" My cousin Cal, Brian and Jocelyn's second son, asked, looking at his wife and the others.

Dad rolled his eyes. "Jesus Christ, Melody. How many times have I told you not to make the pop culture references? You're too pinheaded to see that I will make an outstanding president."

"No, I'm not. I'm just not a vain and heartless Republican like the rest of you are who think that everybody who isn't on the same level is beneath you. I'm sorry to have disrupted this evening, but I'm not going to continue to stay where I am clearly not wanted, where _we_ are clearly not wanted. Come on, Gareth. We're leaving." I stood up and walked off, grabbing my purse and coat before heading for the door.

"Melody!" Meghan shouted, running after me with Penny behind her, both of them hugging my legs and waist.

"Why are you leaving?" Penny asked. "You're going to miss opening presents!"

I bit my lip, trying to hold back the tears. "Gareth and I have to take Autumn Montana to her mother's." I didn't have the heart to tell them I was leaving because our father was a royal jackass. They were still young and naive to how Philip Blake really was, and what was frightening was that they may never see this side of him.

"We'll see you next month, right?"

I nodded. "Of course you will, Penny Lane, at the Red Cross Ball. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, my darlings. I love you, MegTan and Penny Dreadful." I stuck my tongue out and pulled the skin under my eye lid down, with my sisters doing the same.

"Good bye, MarshMello."

Once we said our goodbyes, I walked out and threw myself in the car, Gareth and Autumn Montana behind me. Holding back the tears, for everything good in my life was the reminder that just because somebody shares blood and a name with you doesn't mean they're truly family. No matter what, my children will never know such pain.

**_GARETH_ **

"Gareth, Melody, wait."

As I was buckling Autumn Montana into her car seat, I looked over to see Philip had come outside with two bags of presents in his hand.

Melody opened her door. "My mind is made up, Dad. I'm gone."

"I know, but I didn't want you to leave without your presents." He placed them at her feet before leaning in and giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Merry Christmas, Melody."

"Mmhmm, same to you, Father." She turned the radio on to prevent him from speaking further. Philip closed the car door and motioned to me. "I want to talk to you for a second, Gareth."

"Ok." I closed Autumn Montana's door and walked over to the garage. What could he possibly have to say to me? This night has turned out pretty ghastly and like Mel, I wanted to get the hell out of Oz. "Yes, sir?"

"I'm just going to cut to the chase, no reason to beat around the bush. My daughter has changed since meeting you, not necessarily for the better, and it's starting to have an effect on me as well."

I raised an eyebrow, confused. "Excuse me?"

"Are you aware of the power and wealth I possess? With the snap of my fingers I could ruin you, destroy everything you've worked for, but I admire your tenacity and the fact you didn't rely on handouts to get where you are today. You work your ass off, kid. I'll give you that and that alone."

"What are you trying to say?"

"What I'm saying is that my daughter will end up with Ben, not you, and I'm going to do whatever it takes to make that happen. I'm a very rich man, Gareth." The Governor gave me a maniacal smile.

I stared at him, completely knocked for six. This situation could ideally be expected... in a movie, not in the real world. Philip really must have had a screw loose to even think I'd take his offer seriously.

"Listen, Philip. I want to say I understand where you're coming from, but I don't. Melody wasn't happy with Ben, she is with me. I know I'm good for her just like she's been good for me. There's nothing in the world that would ever drive me away. I'm in love with your daughter, Governor. I love her with everything I am, my entire character and being."

Despite my declaration, his persistence was unwavering. "Perhaps you didn't hear me: Dump Melody and you'll be taken care of for the rest of your days. You, your two mothers and siblings, even your daughter. It wouldn't be good to have somebody of Melody's mental maturity around your young daughter. Why won't you even consider this? You'd be foolish not to accept. Name your price and I'll make out the check, Gareth."

"Then maybe I am a fool, because my feelings can't be bought, the love we share is priceless. I do hope one day that you'll accept our relationship and mend your own relationship with Melody, but I won't hold my breath. Have a Merry Christmas."

I walked off, still in shock that he would stoop this low. Why was he so controlling and manipulative? I would never be like this to my daughter if she was truly happy. At this point, I'm convinced that Philip is a sociopath.

"What did he want?" Melody asked once I got in the car.

"He told me to have a nice night and to make sure to get you home safely, he sends his love and hopes you feel better soon."

"Ha! And he couldn't say it himself why? So typical to have somebody else do his dirty work." She shook her head before looking down at her phone, where I saw she was FaceTiming with Tara. "Girl, you will not believe the night I had. I'm relieved you answered. Grab your girl, she needs to hear this, too."

While she reiterated the night to Tara and Aleisha as I drove, Autumn Montana preoccupied in the backseat, I swore to myself that I would never tell Melody what Philip actually said, it would break her heart like it's already breaking mine.

* * *

 

"Oh, God, Gareth, I've never felt any man this deep before. At this angle, we could probably make a baby right now."

"Mmm, we totally would. I love how flexible you are, Melody. Next time we should bring a couple of your girlfriends in on this."

"Yeah, right. I could outdo them at this in my sleep. Besides, that's like saying we should bring in your brother and friends."

"What can I say? There's something about a bunch of girls tangled up that's kind of sexy."

"I'm about to show you tangled up. Left hand blue."

"Whoa!"

I lost my balance, ending the contortioned position we were in and fell flat on the Twister board, laughing. "Are you ok?"

Melody nodded, running her fingers through the back of my hair. "Mmmhmm, I'm great. Twenty five minutes, that's gotta be a Twister world record."

"I think so, too."

After we dropped Autumn Montana off at Theresa and Sam's, I could tell Melody was stressed. As her boyfriend, I took it upon myself to cheer my girl up. For the past few hours, we had been watching Christmas movies in the family room, lit by the Christmas tree and a blazing fire, pigging out on holiday cookies and hot chocolate in our pajamas. I think it definitely lifted her spirits.

"Wow, what a freaking night. With the exception of my sisters, if I never saw the rest of my dad's family again, I wouldn't complain." Melody sat up, grabbing some more mini marshmallows and putting them in our hot chocolate.

"I know I always try to find the positive in everything, but I really can't with this one. You don't need them, you have all of us, but they'll regret the way they treated you. It's hard to believe you and your sisters are such sweethearts compared to the rest of the family."

"Tell me about it. Can you believe my dad is going to run for president?"

"No, I can't. You were spot on saying Tywin Lannister, but with your father it would be like an older Joffrey Baratheon, too. By the way, how does he know Tom Cruise and Mel Gibson?"

"He's California Governor, he knows everybody, but he actually met them in flight school years before he was in office. Hey, open up the rest of your presents before we watch _Home Alone_. We should have started with that one, I forgot how _The Family Stone_ and _The Holiday_ always manage to make me cry, but I love them so much."

"They're pretty good, but _Christmas Vacation_ definitely lightened the mood."

"So did _While You Were Sleeping_ , it made my heart soar."

"Don't you think we should wait until tomorrow to finish the presents?"

"I think it's fun that we're doing it at night, then we can sleep in tomorrow before we go to your moms'. I should tell you, you're not the easiest person to shop for." Melody pulled out two boxes from underneath the tree. "It's like what do I get for the man that has everything?"

So far she had given me a hot pink Gucci tie, a Dolce and Gabbana leather belt, some clothes, _Wall Street Martini_ and _The Supertini_ , which were two of Michael Godard's famed olive paintings, a bottle of my favorite cologne, the deluxe James Bond DVD box set, a few Harry Potter Funko Pop figurines and a photo book of pictures she had taken of Autumn Montana and the two of us, the former being with Theresa's help.

"I could say the same for you, princess."

"Not even! I'm over the moon and completely spoiled if I might add. How the hell did you get an Hermes Birkin bag?! The wait list for one is almost as long as the wait list for Club 33! My mom and Lori have been on that list I couldn't even tell you how long." She pulled out the sky blue leather tote, marveling at it.

"That one was a piece of cake, they're a new client of ours and gave us our pick since we did such a fantastic job with their winter ads. Your mom and sister will be getting one, too."

"Well, it's gorgeous, I've always dreamed of having one of these. I want to be too proud to accept all this, but that's not real so I'm not going to. Thank you!" She flew into my lap, wrapping her arms around my neck and covering my entire face in kisses.

"I wouldn't let you take any of it back. It's been a hard year and you deserve it. You're my lady, I have to treat you right." Some would say that considering how much money I had spent on Melody's birthday that Christmas was a little excessive. In addition to the Birkin bag, I had gotten her a mint green Chanel wallet, the Sephora Color Daze Blockbuster makeup kit, some new lenses for her SLR camera, coffee table books from her Amazon wish list, new UGG slippers, Christian Louboutin boots, discontinued Sailor Moon dolls and a Thomas Kinkade Disney painting of _Beauty and the Beast_ , one of the last before he died. All she got from Philip's family were clothes that were too small and out of style, some gift cards and a check to buy her new laptop which wasn't even enough.

"And the same goes for you. Now, open your presents!" She sat back, shoving the last two boxes towards me.

"Alright, alright I will." I tore the wrapping paper off the first box, revealing a dark blue mini refrigerator in the shape of the Tardis from _Doctor Who_. "Where did you find this? It's awesome!"

"Remember I kept complaining my ass hurt after Black Friday? It was from wrestling some cracked out soccer mom to get this, she got an easy shot and pushed me. Luckily, the owner ordered me a new one. I figured you could put it in your room so you don't have to keep going back and forth to get ice cream for us late at night, or maybe you could put it in your office at the new house?"

"Ha, you're too cute. I love it."

"Did I ever mention that the Tenth Doctor is actually pretty sexy? He kind of looks like you, maybe I'll have to start watching now."

"He's kind of a spaz, so you think I'm a spaz?"

"No, I think you're sexy." She winked at me. "That and it's more believable that you'd look like David Tennant than Josh Hutcherson. I don't know what my sister was thinking."

"It's definitely a new one, I'll give her that."

"You think I'm all over you now, I wouldn't be able to ever let you leave the house if you really looked like Josh Hutcherson. Oh, my god, he is SO FREAKING CUTE AND ADORABLE I CAN'T STAND IT! That face!"

"Want me to give you two a minute?"

Melody shoved my shoulder. "Pfft, no! I'd never leave you, for any man. Now open your last present. This was actually meant for your birthday, but I figured it would be better for Christmas since your birthday present was so huge."

Once the paper was off, I was in awe over the present, which was a Louisville Slugger baseball bat in a glass case signed by Willie Mays, one of the greatest baseball players of all time who was a member of the San Francisco Giants. "When... How?"

"When I asked for the Babe Ruth baseball bat for Aiden's family, I asked for this one, too. I remember my dad winning it at the spring silent auction when I was in third grade. He claims he was going to sell his collectors items, but who knows? All I knew was that I wanted to give this to you."

"I'm touched, Melody, I really am." I smiled, giving her a hug and taking the opportunity to reach across to the Christmas tree, pulling out a box. "I almost forgot about this."

"Another present for me?"

"I actually made this, don't make fun, I'm a little rusty and Alex helped a bit."

She laughed. "I would never make fun of you."

I watched her rip the wrapping paper off and open the box, pulling out the snow globe. The last time I made a snow globe was for Theresa and it ended up getting thrown at my head when we broke up, smashing to smithereens and resulting in three stitches behind my left ear.

The snow globe was two figurines of what was supposed to be me and Melody kissing on the pier, her foot popped up, two painted dolphins inside the glass shaped into a heart.

"You made this?"

I nodded. "Yep, it was something that I picked up from Dale, he said I was a natural. How do you think Goober is in as great of shape as he's in? I had to do a few restorations on him over the years. Here," I wound up the bottom before handing it back to her. "it plays "I Knew I Loved You" by Savage Garden. The figurines are us on our first date, it's our first kiss. See the dolphins?"

Melody giggled, happy tears falling. "It's so beautiful! This is the most romantic gift I've ever gotten in my life, I'll treasure it forever." She pressed her lips to mine, her tears landing on my face as we sweetly kissed.

"I love you so damn much." I whispered in her hair, holding her to me.

"I love you, too, Gareth. Merry Christmas."

So far, this had been one of the best Christmases I ever had. Presents didn't matter with the love I felt all around me.


	45. Fresh Roots

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Grimes come home from their Hawaiian paradise vacation to some exciting news; Gareth confesses Philip's offer to Rick, who insists that Melody be told; Rick, Lori, Melody and Gareth attend Billy and Delilah's star-studded circus themed New Year's Eve bash; Gareth and Melody go with Albert to find their dream house.

**Hi everybody! I hope you're all having a wonderful winter break. I am ecstatic to say that the harassment has ceased since posting this chapter! Woo-Hoo! The most recent chapter of _Forever Rising Phoenix_ should be up this week I'm hoping, and be sure to check out my two new stories for the _Chicago_ franchise. The house I went with at the end is phenomenal, send me a message if you would like to see it.**

**I wanna give a special shout out to 6980085LMFAO, Headwalkerz, Joshua the Terminian, pen123, Prettyprincess45, and SilverSun09. Please check out their stories, because they are freaking awesome! Enjoy the chapter!**

**_Chapter Forty Five: Fresh Roots_ **

**_LORI_ **

"Home sweet home."

I stepped out of the town car, thanking Abraham and Eugene for picking us up from the airport. After ten wonderful days in Hawaii, the Grimes family was finally home with lifted spirits and killer tans.

"I wouldn't have minded staying in Hawaii another day longer, or forever."

"Yeah, we should move there, it was so peaceful and the surf was killer! Dad, we gotta go to Malibu or San Diego and check out surfboards."

Rick smiled, ruffling Carl's hair. "Cworal, I just got us two surfboards, The Big Khauna said they'll get here next week, we'll get wetsuits at Becker before school starts again. It's a good thing he's sending it directly, now we have a return address to send back the lava rock you snuck."

"By the way, how did you even get it in, sport? I checked your backpack before we left the hotel." I asked.

Carl frowned as we walked through the front door. "You told me I could take it back, Dad!"

"That was before I found out it was bad luck! The only way to break the curse is to send it back to the land of origin."

All Carl did was roll his eyes. "Whatever. Adults and their crazy superstitions. Aunt Melody, Gareth, we're home!"

I turned to Rick, wrapping my arms around his neck. "It's feels so surreal to be back. Maybe we should consider getting a time share."

"I agree." He wrapped his arms around my waist, giving me a long kiss and lingering hug. "I am so glad we took this vacation."

"Me too."

"Melody, they call it a one-time hall pass for a reason. It's so you can only use it once, not twenty times. Besides, what happened to your Josh Hutcherson devotion?"

We looked up to see Gareth and Melody coming down the stairs.

"What?! It's not my fault the world is filled with insanely hot guys. I'm still devoted, he's just not the type I can see letting loose in the bedroom. Plus, have you seen Ryan Gosling's abs? Or Chris Hemsworth?! They're crazy stupid hot! Oh, my god. Just the thought of Chris Hemsworth is making my mouth water. He's the only guy that I approve of having long hair. I would kill to see him without pants on!" Melody nodded her head over at me. "Lori, back me up here."

I nodded with narrowed eyes and a smirk. "Oh yeah, they're both babes. I can see your difficulty picking one person. Mine is Josh Holloway from _LOST_. What about you, Rick?"

"You already know. Catherine Zeta Jones."

"Good choice. Welcome home!" Melody skipped down the rest of the stairs, giving us huge hugs. "Loving the tan, you guys! Especially on you, Rick. You're usually whiter than Eminem!"

"Ha, great to see you too, Melo."

"You all look like you had a blast." Gareth said, greeting us.

"That's an understatement, it was beyond freaking awesome! Gareth, I was shredding up some serious waves, man!" Carl beamed enthusiastically.

"Alright, kid! That sounds badass. We should definitely go surfing when it gets warmer."

"You got it, dude." They high fived.

"We did have a wonderful time, it was an incredible vacation. Thank you both so much." I said, squeezing Gareth's shoulder.

"Really, the pleasure was all mine."

Melody scoffed and elbowed him. "Hel-lo! Don't forget who came up with the idea, credit hog!"

"Oh, right. How could I forget? The pleasure was all mine and my better half's." He wrapped his arm around Melody's shoulders and pulled her into him, her hand on his chest. "Actually, we have some pretty big news to tell you."

"What?" Carl asked.

Melody was grinning from ear to ear. "I'm pregnant!"

My mouth nearly flew open. It's not that I wasn't happy, but my baby sister pregnant?! "Wow, really? Congratulations!"

"How far along are you?" Rick asked.

"Nice, a new sibling and a little cousin? Baby overload for me." Carl said sarcastically.

"I'm not, I was just messing with you guys." She giggled, burying her head in Gareth's chest as he rolled his eyes and smirked.

"Melody! That's not funny, don't joke about that." I shoved her shoulder with a laugh. My sister never hesitated to pull a fast one, even when she was little.

"In all seriousness though," Gareth cleared his throat. "Melody and I have decided to move in together."

She nodded. "It's true, we're going to be looking for places with Albert."

"You guys!" I hugged them both. "That is so amazing! Such a huge step."

"Congrats, you two." Rick said.

Carl high fived them. "Find a house with a kick ass game room! I'll be over there a lot since mine is being turned into a playroom for Jude."

"Carl, the spare is going to be the playroom, we told you this."

"That's what you say now. I gotta go and use my game room while I can. Patrick and I need to seriously get back into _Call of Duty_ mode." Carl headed up the stairs, slinging his backpack and duffle bag over each shoulder.

"I'm going to put these away." Rick gave me a peck before grabbing our luggage.

"Thanks, handsome."

"Here, Rick, I'll give you a hand." Gareth grabbed my Louis Vuitton duffle bag. "I gotta talk to you about something."

"Ok, sure."

Once they went up the stairs, I turned to my sister. "What was that about?"

What could Gareth possibly have to discuss with Rick? He seemed a little hesitant, hopefully it wasn't too serious.

Melody shrugged. "I don't know, dude stuff I'm sure."

"Probably. Come on, I need a cup of coffee, this Hawaiian roast is supposed to be mind blowing." I linked arms with Melody, walking towards the kitchen. "Tell me everything, baby sis. Where are you looking, what kind of house, all the good details."

**_RICK_ **

"What's going on, Gareth? Did something happen at Woodbury?" I asked, walking into the master bedroom.

"Huh? No, everything at the office is great. It's not really related to work, it's about Melody's dad."

"Oh. Then lay it on me, man."

He sat down on the love seat, running a hand through his hair. "For some reason or another, The Governor has a hair up his ass and does not like me. I know you can please some people some of the time but not everybody all of the time, but he actually tried to bribe me."

I gave him a strange look. "How?"

"He told me to name my price to dump Melody so she could end up with Ben, that he's a very wealthy man that can make things happen, that I'll be taken care of for the rest of my days."

"You didn't agree to it, did you?"

I don't know why I asked that, it kind of just slipped out of my mouth. The semi-dirty look Gareth gave me in return was deserved.

"What? No! Of course not! Did you seriously just ask me that? I didn't even take the money you offered, why would I take his?"

"I'm sorry, man. My brain is still on vacation mode." I threw my hand up by my head, rolling my eyes. "Does Melody know?"

"No, she doesn't and I haven't told her. I don't think I should. What do I do, Rick? Not only are you my boss, but you're one of my best friends, so your opinion and input means a great deal to me. You're pretty much the big brother I never had yet always wanted."

I couldn't help but feel touched over what he said. In a way, I also saw Gareth as a younger brother, which I always wanted.

"I appreciate that, we've become pretty close and I'm delighted to have you as a future brother-in-law. At the same time, I do think you should come clean. Look at what happened the last time you held something back from her."

Gareth cringed a bit. "You're right, Rick. I'll tell her, I just got to figure out when. Probably after New Year's. She's so excited for the party, I don't want to put a damper on things."

"You promise?"

He nodded. "I promise."

**_New Year's Eve, Staples Center, 8:00 pm_ **

**_GARETH_ **

"Wow, this place is incredible insanity! I've never seen anything like it!"

Melody and I looked around as we walked into Billy and Delilah's New Year's Eve party, their last California soirée before heading to St. Thomas next week. They rented out the Staples Center and had it decorated with a circus theme, tents and balloons splashed in bold colors, streamers glittering from the ceiling, game and concession stands set up all around. Tamed elephants, tigers, lions, giraffes and even a seal were on display while stilt walkers, jugglers, flame throwers and sword swallowers performed on the side. Luckily, Delilah's step family made up the Bulgari circus, whose family history originated with the Bvlgari jewelry line. They had it all: acrobats on the trapeze and aerial silk, a lion tamer, clowns, a magician, and they were all here tonight to put on quite the show.

"Can you believe all the famous people that showed up? Andy Sandberg, Brie Larson, Sarah Silverman, Dane Cook, I could have sworn I saw Josh Hutcherson! EEEE!" Melody gasped and started jumping up and down, squealing. "OH, MY GOD! Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are over at the bar! They're the comedic version of me and Beth, Beth is the Amy to my Tina. Oh, my god, oh, my god, oh, my god! Damnit, she isn't here yet! We have to meet them NOW!"

"Ha, calm down, Crazy Girl! You ALWAYS think you see Josh Hutcherson, and I'm sure you girls will meet Tina and Amy." Lori nudged her before pointing discreetly. "Look, it's Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift."

"And over there is Judd Apatow's group. They're all here. Seth Rogen, James Franco, Jonah Hill, Jason Segel, Danny McBride, Adam Scott. Carl would about lose his mind right now." Rick said with a laugh. "I saw Ellen Degeneres and Peter Dinklage already checked off of the guest list when we came through."

"I think I see Eddie Redmayne and Channing Tatum with their wives. This is going to be a really fun night." I squeezed Melody's hand with a smile.

"Welcome, welcome one and all!"

We looked to see Delilah and Billy walking towards us, hand in hand. Delilah was wearing a red bra with a gold laced and black and white checkered pattern with gold beads and pearls dangling with hearts on the straps, a popped up collar of playing cards, a red, white, and black tulle skirt adorned with black spades and red hearts, and glittered cherry ombré silver to pink and red high heels. Billy was wearing a top hat and black suit, steampunk style.

"Ahh, the couple of the hour! The MAD Hatter and Queen of Hearts, I like it."

Billy smiled, greeting us with hugs and cheek kisses for the ladies. "It's cool, but I can't wait to take this damn hat off. I feel like a moron."

"See?" I elbowed Melody. "I told you I wasn't the only one." Melody and I were dressed as mimes for the evening in full makeup. While she looked positively adorable in her black and white striped swing dress, black and white heels and black beret, I felt like an idiot in the typical male mine outfit of a black and white striped shirt, black pants with matching suspenders and a black beret with white gloves.

"Speak for yourself, Gareth. Look what I'm having to wear." Rick was wearing a black and red male leotard, dressed as a strong man, while Lori looked divine in a flapper dress covered in peacock feathers.

"At least it has shorts, it could be worse with a thong." Delilah laughed. "Come on, Gare. You guys look freaking awesome!"

I shrugged and nodded. "You're right, we do, all because of your fantastic makeup skills, my love." I gave Melody a mime kiss on the cheek.

"That's very true. Excuse me, I'll be right back. Quincy Jones and Mick Jagger just walked in, I have to say hello. Enjoy the party and I'll see you a bit later. I'll be back soon, my beautiful bride." Billy gave Delilah a tender kiss before walking off.

"Ooo, look! A sushi buffet! Come on, Rick. I'm starving." Lori grabbed Rick by the hand, pregnancy hormones and cravings raging.

Melody smiled at her cousin. "Somebody is certainly in a fantastic mood tonight, and that's not saying much since Billy is always upbeat. Did you have a New Year's Eve quickie or something?"

"Billy has been spoiling me rotten since our vacation started. A new Tesla for Christmas, a Harry Winston diamond tennis bracelet, a chinchilla fur coat."

"Wow, Delilah, you must be amazing in the sack!" Melody giggled, sipping champagne. "Maybe he's feeling extra generous since it's the holidays? Besides, he's kind of always gone all out with your gifts."

"He wants us to have another baby."

"Do you want to?" Billy had told me in Vegas that they were trying to get pregnant again, but this was the first time I was hearing Delilah's side of it.

"It's not that I don't want to, we've always said we'd have another or two after the twins, it's that am I in a position to take two years off from my career? Billy's new album means he'll have to go on tour for most likely a year, which I understand, but I wouldn't be able to go with him being pregnant or having a screaming newborn. I mean, with the shows and films I'm swamped, and I've been selected to appear on _Dancing With The Stars_ again, with my star selection. I'll give you a hint: Luke Perry."

"OH, MY GOD! LUKE PERRY?! Go for it! He was sooo sexy on _Beverly Hills, 90210_ back in the day!"

Delilah laughed at her younger cousin. "I'm definitely doing it and we do want to have more children before I'm thirty. What about you two?" She pointed back and forth at us. "I'm surprised Grams hasn't been haranguing you about your biological clock ticking like she did with me."

"Trust me, I've already heard it." Melody looked up at me and smiled. "There's really not a rush, we want to enjoy living together first and take it from there. Right, hun?"

I nodded. "Absolutely."

While I couldn't wait for us to start our own family, Melody was right. I wanted more nights like what we had when we were house sitting. Cooking together, having sex all over the house, hell, just coming home to her. More than anything, that's all I really wanted.

**_11:55 pm_ **

"It's five minutes to midnight, people!" Delilah shouted with glee. "Make sure you've all got champagne!"

"Wow, it's been some night, huh?" I asked Melody. "Could you believe that show?"

Delilah and Billy had surprised everybody to a performance of "Topsy Turvy" from Disney Broadway's North American revival of _The Hunchback of Notre Dame_ , complete with acrobats from Cirque du Soelil and the Chinese Peking Circus, not to mention Michael Arden reviving his role as Quasimodo, Priyanka Chopra as Esmerelda, and a surprise appearance by Neil Patrick Harris as Clopin, topping it off with a tremendous downpour of confetti from the ceiling.

"It was phenomenal! Michael Arden is so talented, I loved him on _Anger Management!_ I always wondered something about Quasimodo. He's so grotesque looking, but what if he has a huge amazing wang? All the bitches that scorned him would be missing out!"

"Ha, that's quite the observation. Is your mind always in the gutter?"

"No, it's not. I have A.D.D., my mind wanders."

"Point taken. What's your New Year's resolution?"

Melody took my face in her hands. "For this-what we have- to never end."

I smiled at her, my heart skipping a beat, which a lot of people thought wasn't possible for guys. "I like the sound of that."

"The thought of our future fills me with such joy and hope. I haven't felt like this in so long and I don't know what I would do without it. Having you and Autumn Montana in my life has opened my eyes even further to all the different kinds of love there are in the world. Love of a child, second chance love, everlasting love. I've grown and matured since being with you and I like this new version of me. To be perfectly honest, I couldn't think of a single thing I would want. I have it all and I am very happy with how my life is right now."

Melody's words moved me to tears, so poetic at such a young age. "What we have, it's pretty close to perfect. I've also changed, you taught me to keep believing even when I didn't want to. I'm happier than I've been in a long time, I mean that."

The countdown started getting louder and louder all around us.

"10! 9! 8! 7! 6!"

"Melody, I love you!" I shouted the best I could, bringing her in for a kiss, my hands on her waist. Melody put her arm around my neck, almost leaned back in a dipped style.

"5! 4! 3! 2! 1! Happy New Year!"

We were still kissing when another downpour of confetti came from the ceiling, all the shouts and cheers tuned out just to focus on the two of us. When we pulled away, Melody was laughing.

"Your teeth are all black from the lipstick!"

She laughed, showing that her teeth were also stained.

"So are yours."

Still laughing, we kissed again, ringing in the new year and having the time of our lives.

**_TWO DAYS LATER_ **

**_MELODY_ **

"That 17065 Encino Verde Place was fabulous, but it's on the end of a cul-de-sac. My mom always told me never to live on a cul-de-sac."

"Medley Drive was too small."

"Are you sure you don't want to go more south?" Albert asked from the front seat. "I've got some great listings in Pacific Palisades and Beverly Hills."

Today was the big day, Gareth and I were officially house hunting. We decided to stay relatively close to our families in the San Fernando Valley, but not too far from the city. We had looked at about seven houses and couldn't agree on a single one, which made me a little worrisome. What if we never found it?

"What about that other Verde Place listing, the vacant lot? You'd literally be building your dream house."

Gareth shook his head. "That's true, but the process is so strenuous and drawn out. Besides, whatever house we find, we'll just have it renovated need be."

"The Stone Oak house had a great pool." Whatever house we ended up with had to have an awesome pool.

"The Oak View and Meadowgate houses were beautiful but either one of them would need so much work done, they're totally dated. We wouldn't need to do anything with the Grand Royal Oaks Spanish Estate, the one off of Valley Meadow Road."

I laughed. "It's definitely a house sitting for a king, but what would we do with 15,000 square feet, ten bathrooms and a seven car garage? We'd have to expand the pool, that's for certain, it was kind of rinky dink."

"But the Italian marble floors were amazing and there was an elevator. I think you're going to like this house, that and it's the last one. Eight out of ten couples always select the last house." Albert said as he parked in front of a sprawling peach colored Italian villa style house with lush greenery all around and blue stained glass windows.

"Wow, the outside is beautiful." Gareth grabbed my hand as we followed Albert through the gate and up the stairs.

"The house was built in 2008 and is over 7,500 square feet with two separate two car garages. The appliances in the kitchen were just updated, including two SubZero refrigerators, a six burner range and two dishwashers. Two stories, six bedrooms and seven bathrooms, including a maid's quarters downstairs. There's also an elevator, wine cellar, a study, two fireplaces, and the master suite has a customized walk-in closet and a luxurious spa. It's within minutes of two of the best elementary schools in the Los Angels Unified School District."

The inside of the house was spacious, all white with high ceilings and polished wood floors, the kitchen in Italian marble and granite. Excitement started bubbling up as we looked around from room to room. Just being in the master suite was enough to visualize what life would be like as Mr. and Mrs. Mandel, the dining room had visions of dinner parties with all our friends dancing in my head.

"Babe, we would definitely need to add on a bathroom and another walk-in closet. Lori told me the key to a long lasting relationship is separate bathrooms."

"I agree. We'd also need to add on a gym, maybe a second guest room and turn the bonus room into a movie theatre room." Gareth turned to Albert with a smile as we walked down the stairs. "It's really something else. Great job, Al."

"I'm in the top 1% for a reason, it's because I'm the best. Wait until you see the pool."

He led us outside and my jaw hit the floor over the spectacular grotto styled pool and jacuzzi made entirely of rocks and had a natural waterfall, not to mention the expanded paver patio.

"Oh, my gosh! It's the most fantastic pool I've ever seen! I could totally be _The Little Mermaid_!" I squealed, with the guys laughing at me.

"I think my queen is happy. What's the asking price?"

"$3.9, but I can probably get it down to $3.7 with a three to four week escrow."

Gareth turned to me. "Is this the house you want to go with?"

"Gareth! Don't leave it all on me. This is our house, you need to like it, too."

He put his hands on my shoulders. "Melody, I want what you want. I love this house. It's huge, sophisticated and it's so close to my moms' house, Autumn Montana can ride her bike over there. Can you imagine what it will look like once the rooms are added on?" Gareth smiled at me. "This is where I see our lives happening, where we're going to raise our family and make more memories. I want this and I know you do, too."

I'm sure I looked like an idiot or the Cheshire Cat, my smile was so huge. It was almost hard to believe that in a year I had gone from miserable single to potential wife, but this was it. This was my new normal and it was already starting.

"I do. I love it, this is our house."

"Welcome home, gorgeous." Gareth turned to Albert. "Get it down to $3.5 and a two week escrow and I'm sold."

"You've got yourself a deal, buddy." Albert reached out, giving Gareth a firm handshake before pumping his fists in the air. "Woo Hoo! I'm making bank, baby! All I do is win win win no matter what!"

"You're such a dork, Albert! You should be the first to try out our new pool." I grabbed Albert by the wrist and tossed him in the pool, laughing hysterically. When he came up, he was pissed.

"Melody, you bitch! It's fucking freezing in here! This is dry clean only!"

"Hey, don't have a cow, bro." Gareth said, who was cracking up right alongside me.

"Take that, Barney Stinson!"

After a minute, even Albert thought it was funny. So far, this had been a pretty outstanding start to the new year, and I couldn't wait to see what could possibly be in store next.


	46. Twist Up The Ballroom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Melody attends the Red Cross Ball with Gareth, Lori, and Rick. Gareth's Forbes magazine cover has given him instant celebrity status, along with Melody. Melody runs into a former flame, with Shane making an offer by pulling the rug out from under Gareth; Melody puts herself on display and Lori stands up to Philip.

**Hi everybody! I am so so so sorry that I haven't updated in almost three months! It's been very busy with sickness, the holidays, dating, writer's block and some family drama! Also, the first half of this season wasn't great, that kind of killed the inspiration for me, but now that it's picked up and kicking ass again, I'm pumped! Thank you so much to my lovely fans for your patience, follows, favorites and reviews!**

**I promised the Monroes would appear and here they are! I'll be posting the FF Pinterest board soon, the dresses are fab! Also, Katie is in _TWD_ universe and we all know Gregory by now! Haha.**

**Thanks again to 6980085LMFAO, JoshuatheTerminian, pen123, Prettyprincess45 and SilverSun09, you guys are the best! :)**

**_DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NOR HAVE ANY AFFILIATIONS WITH DO YOU LOVE ME. ALL PROPERTIES OWNED BY THE CONTOURS, RESPECTIVELY. I ONLY OWN MY OWN ORIGINAL IDEAS AND CHARACTERS_ **

**_Chapter Forty Six: Twist Up The Ballroom_ **

**_Saturday January 9th, Gotham Hall, New York_ **

**_MELODY_ **

"I'm nervous. Penny and Meghan are used to this kind of thing, I'm not. What if I trip? I'll be the laughing stock of the city and my father will be furious, he'll further distance himself from me." I sighed heavily, looking down on my freshly manicured hands resting in my lap and holding onto my Ellia Wang pink layered clutch.

Gareth and I were in New York City, on our way in a luxurious stretch limousine to the Red Cross Ball, being held at Gotham Hall. This was truly an A-list event with heavy hitters from the entertainment, political, and business world. The latter was the reason why Rick, Shane and Morgan were attending, managing Woodbury's West and East Coast offices, respectively. Even if I wasn't bringing Gareth as my date, he had already been invited.

The _Forbes_ magazine cover was a hit, doing a re-imagining of Steve Jobs' last photo, which was the cover of his biography, with the two pictures side by side and the caption reading "The Wolf of Woodbury: Steve Jobs of the Millenials is on the rise". Luckily, it was all business with a very brief mention of me.

"Hey," Gareth grabbed my hand. "Melody, there's nothing to worry about. You'll dazzle them all, I know it."

The limo came to a halt, I could already hear the chattering amongst the press and paparazzi, shouting out questions to whomever walked by, the shuttering of camera lenses snapping photos. My heart was in my stomach, knowing that Rick and Lori were just ahead of us, then it would be our turn. Delilah was used to things like this and she said it was a cakewalk. She and Billy had already arrived and were now inside, not to mention she looked stunning in a black and white V-neckline thigh high slit gown, I had seen a picture of the dress earlier.

The chauffeur opened the door and Gareth stepped out, extending his hand to me.

"It's your time to shine, beautiful."

With a deep breath I took his hand and exited the limo, watching Rick and Lori pose for some final pictures before going inside. She looked gorgeous in a grey A-line chiffon gown with a high beaded neck and her hair up, Rick was wearing a black Valentino tux, just like Gareth.

Once they were inside I walked forward onto the red carpet, photographers snapping away and calling my name.

"Melody! Melody!"

"Is it true you and your father are estranged?"

"Who are you wearing tonight?"

"California's Princess, you look stunning!"

"Applause" by Lady Gaga began playing in my head. I'll admit, I looked pretty damn good. I was wearing a slinky lace and sequined floor length turquoise gown that had wide straps and a sweetheart neckline, silver and chained Manolo Blahniks, a moonstone and diamond necklace, a topaz ring, and a Fancy Vivid pink and Fancy Vivid blue Bulgari diamond earrings, my hair in an up-do with red lips and smokey eyes. My father would be pleased, that's for sure.

"Strike a pose, Melody!"

"Smile!"

I laughed, doing all the poses that I had seen on the red carpet over the years. Hand on hip, over the shoulder, show the back, one leg forward. I felt like such a star, what I've always wanted. I looked over and saw Gareth watching me, I stuck my hand out with a smile, nodding my head to the side. After hesitating for a few seconds, he walked over and joined me, I could tell he was nervous since he wasn't used to this kind of attention.

"Melody, who's your date?"

I smiled, entwining my fingers with Gareth's as his free hand was on my back. "My wonderful boyfriend, Gareth Mandel. That's one L, not two. He was just on the cover of _Forbes_ magazine." I put my hand on his cheek and leaned in, giving him a kiss that looked innocent enough but was plenty sexy, earning quite a few "Awws" from the crowd. When I pulled away, Gareth was blushing with that sappy look on his face that I thought was the cutest thing I had ever seen.

"Gareth, what's it like dating California's Princess?"

"Amazing, that's what it's like." He said with a huge grin on his face.

"Come on, let's go."

Still holding his hand, I led the way inside, past security and into the ballroom through it's massive brass doors. It was oval shaped with a gilded leaf/honeycombed design and 3,000 square foot stained glass ceiling, Corinthian columns and an inlaid marble floor. White sheets were billowing all around, purple and blue light reflecting off of them and the dance floor, round tables scattered all over and a DJ in the corner. It certainly was regal looking, as were the guests.

"Oh, look, I see my dad and sisters. Dad!"

My dad turned around from the person he was talking to and waved me over with a smile.

"Hi, Daddy."

I walked up to him with a huge smile on my face. Regardless of how crazy our relationship gets, there are moments where I do love my father. Hopefully, he has those for me as well.

"Melody! Darling, you look beautiful." Dad took my hands in his, giving me a kiss on each cheek. He looked over at Gareth and smiled. "Gareth, we meet again."

"Hello, Philip." Gareth nodded, politely shaking hands.

"Melody! Gareth!"

Penny and Meghan ran up, wearing pink and purple floor length pageant gowns, respectively. With their hair curled and pulled back and makeup on, they looked older, it was a bit jarring.

"Hello, my little angels!" I hugged my sisters tightly. While I had just seen them not too long ago, it hadn't been soon enough. I really didn't know what to do to get my father to change his mind about that...

"Gareth, how lovely to see you! Melody, you look stunning." Lilly sauntered up in a navy blue cap sleeved Zac Posen mermaid gown, giving us air kisses. "You looked so handsome on that magazine cover."

"Thank you, Lilly. I couldn't have done it without Melody though. It was her idea to have me channel Steve Jobs for the picture."

My dad nodded his head. "That's nice, son. Excuse us, I see Caesar and Miranda. Enjoy the night, you two. We'll be seeing you later. Come on, girls."

Dad motioned to my sisters and Lilly, who followed them over to his right hand, Lieutenant Governor Caesar Martinez, Caesar's wife Miranda and their kids Eliza and Louis. Every time I saw him, I couldn't help but think of Rosita. I, like the rest of America, immediately dove into her New York Times bestseller tell-all about the sordid affair. It made me wonder why Miranda stayed with him, I don't think I could ever do that, no matter how much I love Gareth. Life is too short to be with somebody that isn't entirely sure of their own feelings.

"Wow, my dad is so typical. He couldn't even congratulate you on the cover." I rolled my eyes at Gareth.

"Honestly? I don't mind. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, it's kind of refreshing to see somebody not caring." He cupped my cheek. "Don't worry yourself, buttercup. I'm going to go get us some champagne, alright?"

I nodded. "Alright, that sounds great."

Gareth had a point, but my father still should have said something. After all, he was going to be his future son-in-law. I want to think that maybe a part of him is jealous of the success Gareth accumulated at a young age, whereas Dad didn't make the cover of _Forbes_ until he won California Governor.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't little Melody Blake."

I turned around to see a couple in their early sixties, the man with white hair and glasses while the woman had shoulder length brown hair, dressed in a silver dress and balero jacket. I smiled, recognizing them right away.

"Oh, my gosh! Reg! Deanna! How are you?!" I laughingly smiled, giving them both a hug. Deanna Monroe and my father had known each other almost longer than I had been alive, but it was my mother that she was closer to. She was a political rival and good family friend while Reg had been part of designing the houses we lived in back in Bel-Air.

"My dear, you look exceptionally lovely this evening." Reg said. "I can still see glimpses of the little girl running around my backyard in pigtails chasing Aiden and Spencer."

"Thank you, I still remember those days myself. How are the boys?" I smiled politely, even though my heart was leaping out of my chest at Aiden's name.

**_It's a name, you'll be hearing it again, they're not all your Aiden._ **

"Busy as ever. Aiden just graduated from Harvard and is working for his new father-in-law, hoping to fill his shoes one day, and Spencer transferred to a new hospital."

"Wow, how impressive!"

This change in Aiden was recent, last I heard he was still goofing off and trying to be the next Mark Zuckerberg without actually doing any work. My mom, Lori and Carl had gone to his wedding in April, Rick was on a business trip and I was too distraught following the events of the Tony Robbins retreat. He married Katie Xander, socialite daughter of lawyer and New York Senator Gregory Xander, who had big dreams of becoming the next mayor. With Aiden working for him being a lazy ass, that campaign would probably be run into the ground.

"We've heard quite a lot about you through your father. He's so proud of you." Deanna said.

I blinked in confusion, wanting to laugh. "I'm sorry, you must be joking. Are we talking about the same Philip Blake?"

There's no way my dad would talk about me, unless to say what a horrible disappointment I was. As far as he's concerned, he only has two daughters. To my surprise, Deanna nodded.

"No, we are. He sends everybody your dance videos and makeup pictures all the time, he's always talking about how proud he is of you, especially the successful, dashing young man you're dating."

I was absolutely floored by this newfound information. Why was my father bragging about me? There had to have been some ulterior motive, this was Philip Blake she was talking about.

"Was that Deanna Monroe?" Gareth asked me once Deanna and Reg left, to which I nodded.

"Yes, it was. She just told me the most bizarre thing, that my dad shows off my dance videos and makeup, that he's actually proud of me and that I'm dating you."

Gareth smiled. "See? I told you your dad cares about you. He just has an odd way of showing it."

I shrugged. "Maybe, who knows? The whole thing is totally odd. Then again, I might be overthinking it, except nobody would be that nasty to their child if they cared."

"Melody?"

**_GARETH_ **

We looked over to see a man around my age approaching us. He was tall with brown hair and eyes and the strangest ears I had ever seen. As soon as Melody saw him, her smile disappeared and she let go of my hand, turning around fully to face him.

"Spencer?"

The man now identified as Spencer walked up, a warm smile on his face. "Wow, I can hardly believe it. I almost didn't recognize you, it's been, what-"

"Three and a half years. Wow, hi!" She let out a nervous giggle, giving him a friendly hug, which he let linger too long. I could feel my face heating up, he was clearly enamored by my girlfriend.

"It's so good to see you, Spence."

"I'm surprised you're here, I figured you weren't coming since you didn't reply to my Facebook message. Then again, it seems like you've been having a very busy few months. Happy Birthday again. I saw Lori earlier, she's glowing. How's your mother?"

This was the first I was hearing of Spencer getting into contact with Melody, but I shouldn't feel too threatened, he's known her since she was born.

"Thank you, yes she is and my mom is fantastic. I have been a busy bee, graduating from school, working on the sets and pretty soon I'll be moving into a brand new house! I saw that you're working at the Lenox Hill E.R.. Wow, what's that like?"

"It's something else, that's for sure. Seriously though, you look incredible. You've turned into quite the young lady."

"Thank you."

She must have felt my gaze because she grabbed my hand and pulled me forward.

"This is my Gareth boyfriend- Uh, I mean, this is my boyfriend, Gareth."

He glanced at me with a smile and a handshake. "Hello, nice to meet you. I recognized you from the cover of _Forbes_. You're doing great things for the advertising world."

"Thanks. I recognized you from the video Glenn made for Melody's birthday." I really had no idea what to say to this guy, his presence was a bit intimidating.

Spencer's hand dropped from mine and cupped Melody's cheek, who didn't even flinch. Immediately, sirens went off in my head, but I was more confused than infuriated. What the hell was he doing?

"You've never looked better, kid."

As I opened my mouth to speak, I was cut off.

"Hold it, hold it, hold it! I've died and gone to heaven over a vision."

Shane walked up with Andrea, who was wearing a long green dress with a beaded chest.

"Hello, Shane." I said.

"Steve Jobs, Jr." He nodded his head at me before refocusing his attention on Melody and Spencer. "You two are something else."

They looked at one another before pointing at their respective selves. "Us?"

"Yep. How would you like to be in a multi-million dollar commercial for a well known perfume?"

It took me half a second to realize that he was referring to the Calvin Klein Obsession commercial. "What are you talking about, Shane? We just confirmed John Legend and Chrissy Tiegen for that spot last week."

"Oh, nobody told you? They canceled. I can see it clearly." Shane held out his hands in a picture frame style. "The beach, the party, her in a flowing dress, him with a look of lust in his eyes. It's perfect."

"I totally agree with him, you two are such a good looking couple." Andrea said, sipping her champagne.

"Wait, what do you mean they canceled?"

Shane brushed me off. "She got a gig on some show Fallon is producing for Spike TV. Anyways, we shoot on Thursday in Malibu. You in?"

"Uh, I don't know. I'm a doctor, not an actor or model." Spencer said.

"I'm not so sure being in a commercial is the best thing. I'm already kind of dreading the Audi commercial."

Right before Melody's birthday, I had her and her friends appear in the Audi commercial, shooting it on Pacific Coast Highway and cutting time costs for auditioning actors. Except the Calvin Klein commercial would be more intimate, more salacious, I'd worry that it would further piss Philip off.

"Don't worry about that. It's very simple, you're in and out, less than a day's work. I'll even comp your ticket out here, Spencer. Take my card and let me know by Tuesday. It'll air during the Super Bowl, you'll be getting national recognition." Shane handed him his card before walking away.

"Excuse me, I'll be right back."

I zipped over to Shane and whirled him around to face me. "Shane, what the hell was that for?"

He turned to Andrea. "Andrea, babe, grab me another scotch, will ya?"

"Sure." She grabbed his glass and walked off, leaving us alone, Shane giving me a smirk.

"Ahhh, what's the matter? Can't handle not being the center of attention for a few minutes?"

**_Ignorant son of a bitch._ **

I shook my head. "You know that's not it. This is my deal, Rick already gave me the OK."

All Shane did was shrug. "What can I say? He liked my idea better and it's what we're going with." He leaned in closer. "You do as I say or your sweet little princess finds out about the deal you made with Rick." He grinned wickedly before walking over to meet Andrea at the bar.

I stood there, baffled. All my hard work and success, only to be undermined and blackmailed, having to be forced to see my girlfriend with another man.

"Gareth, are you ok? You've been so quiet."

"Huh?" I shook myself out of my thoughts. "Yes, I'm fine."

It was true, I had been quiet through dinner, the various speeches and now on the dance floor as we swayed back and forth.

"Don't lie to me, I can tell when you're holding back. Is this about that offer Shane made me and Spencer?"

"Eh, kind of. I don't think you should take it. Your father would not be happy and have another reason to hate me."

She nodded. "I know, I thought of that also, but I think it would be really fun and interesting. You know that I've always wanted to break into modeling and acting, this might be a good start. Is it the deal you're having an issue with or that it's Spencer? I'm sorry I didn't introduce you right away, I was kind of in shock."

"I understand, and if it means that much to you, than go for it. You know I'll always support you, Melody. About Spencer though..."

"Yes?"

I hesitated, swallowing the lump in my throat, not wanting to ask the question that was pushing itself out of my mouth.

"I think you two were more than just friends, huh?"

She sighed before nodding. "Yes, we were."

"How far did it go?"

"I don't think you want to know." Her voice was squeaky, cheeks flushed red, she couldn't even look at me.

"Melody, come on. You know all about the girls I've been with."

**_Except Christine, that one you can never know about._ **

She swallowed before speaking. "Ok, remember what you told me about your summer fling with Lacey Cohan? It's pretty much that in a nutshell but it was more for my benefit than his."

I groaned and looked away. "Urgh, babe..."

"What?! You wanted to know!"

"That was it? I mean, look at him."

Melody looked away, her face crimson. "He was too big, I was worried I'd split in half."

"Melody!"

Some people looked over at us, which was when I pulled her in closer to me to distract them.

"Again, you wanted to know." She whispered.

"How am I supposed to ever look at that guy again knowing he spent a good amount of time with his head buried between your legs? Not to mention that he has a foot long?"

"In all fairness, it wasn't entirely like that. He wanted more than that but I wasn't ready to sit around in California and do the long distance relationship, it never works. I wasn't ready to leave my family behind and move to New York, he didn't want to transfer to UCLA. It wasn't meant to be."

What if this was the beginning of the end for us? Would she realize that she wanted to be with Spencer instead of me? I didn't want to believe it could happen, but reminders of Theresa were screaming in my head.

"Why? Spencer is a catch, Melody. He's a doctor, well mannered, dapper, comes from a really good family, not to mention he's a foot taller than you. If your dad was going to fix you up with anybody, it should have been Spencer, not Ben."

To me, Melody was perfect, and I hated that as of now it seemed I would always have that insecurity looming in the back of my head that I wasn't good enough.

Melody looked at me with sad eyes. "Do you really think any of that matters to me? I already have a dapper, well mannered, tall creative director that comes from a really good family." She moved her hands up to my face. "Gareth, that part of my life is over. There's nothing to worry about. I love you, not Spencer or Ben, _you_. You're my future. I'll prove it to you."

She sauntered off and over to the DJ. I had no idea what she was going to do, but I worried it would somehow get one of us in trouble. I watched her turn around as a single vibrating guitar cord played and she began to lip sync to the words.

**_"You broke my heart_ **

**_'Cause I couldn't dance_ **

**_You didn't even want me around_ **

**_And now I'm back_ **

**_To let you know_ **

**_I can really shake 'em down"_ **

Melody undid her hair and shook it out before she started singing along to "Do You Love Me?" by The Contours. I couldn't help but laugh as everybody stared at her. We had just watched _Dirty Dancing_ recently, which is where she had gotten the idea.

"Melody, what are you doing?" I asked as she finally approached me.

"I'm dancing, and you're going to join me. Sometimes, you gotta make an ass out of yourself to show people who you really are, and who I really am is a crazy in love girl that wants to dance with her man."

She leaned up, grabbing my face and kissing me passionately. Here I was with a girl that had the whole country judging her, and she was willing to throw it all to satisfy my comfort and security. It was probably a bit selfish of me to have this thought, but it only made me love her more. With a smile, I twirled her outwards before we both started doing the Twist.

**_RICK_ **

"God damnit, what the hell is she doing?!" Philip grumbled, slamming his fist down on the table as we watched Melody and Gareth dancing. "Mel-o-dy! Get off that dance floor, right now!"

"I wanna dance!" Meghan shouted and got up.

"Yeah, me too!" Penny joined her sister, ignoring Philip's calls.

"Girls, get back here!" He groaned heavily and looked at Lori as Meghan and Penny danced with their sister. "Lori, sweetheart, is there any chance you could talk some sense into that crazy sister of yours?"

"Oh, Philip." Lori threw her head back and sarcastically laughed before straightening up and glaring at him with a scoff. "Put a sock in it. Unlike you, I embrace my sister for the unique, outside the box individual that she is, we all do. You're the only one that hasn't. Times have changed, you need to breakaway of your judgments and let Melody live her life instead of scrutinizing her for every misstep she makes. Come on, Rick." She stood up and grabbed my hand. "I wanna dance."

"You got it, babe."

We joined them on the dance floor, rocking and jiving straight out of _Dirty Dancing_ , which was quite funny to see. Soon enough, others were joining us and only Philip sat back with a scowl.

As always, my wife was right. Melody was wacky and eccentric and loving, it made her the fantastic person she is today. Even if she didn't have anybody, she had us, her family, and she had Gareth. There was no denying that.

**_THE NEXT MORNING_ **

**_LORI_ **

"Wow, this is seriously the best egg white omelet I've ever had. Can you believe all this food? Between here and Hawaii, I've never eaten better." I smiled, admiring the lavish layout in front of us.

"There's nothing better than room service." Rick said with a smile, pouring himself some more coffee.

"That was the best massage I've ever had in ages."

We looked over to see Melody and Gareth walk in, holding hands and wrapped up in their Plaza Hotel fluffy white bathrobes.

"Yeah, but nothing beats your hands, babe."

"Awww, baby."

Melody put her hands on Gareth's face and kissed him, giggling when his arms snaked around her waist. It's crazy how much I think of Rick and me whenever I see them.

"Good morning, you two."

They looked over and smiled.

"Good morning indeed!" Melody said with a smile. "Oh, my gosh! Food! I am star-ving!" She raced over and grabbed a plate, loading it with eggs, fruit, and pancakes.

"Sorry we weren't here earlier, we were getting a couples massage."

"Hmmm, that sounds relaxing." Rick said, grabbing my hand. "We should do that."

"Count me in." I leaned over and kissed his cheek.

"I highly recommend. Alright, coffee!" Gareth joined us at the table, preparing himself a cup of java. "Did we miss anything while we were gone?"

I nodded, grabbing the _New York Post_ and placing it in front of my sister. "Yes, you did. Turn to Page Six."

Melody opened the paper and gasped, laughing at the article. "Oh, my gosh! I made Page Six! Look!"

She turned it around to show us. There was a picture of Melody in front of Gotham Hall, one of her with her dad and sisters, and one of her dancing with Gareth.

"California Princess Twists Up Red Cross Ball." Ha! This is too funny! Gareth, look at us." Melody said with a giggle. "I can only imagine what my dad will say."

I shrugged. "Who cares? You look amazing and that's all that matters."

"I think I sense the country's new power couple." Rick said with a laugh.

"I'll drink to that." Gareth toasted us.

Afterwards, we continued to enjoy the rest of our New York Sunday before we hopped on a plane tomorrow to California and the real world.


	47. Into The Snow, Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Melody meets up with Tara and Beth for some much needed girl time while reflecting on her worries; Melody takes Gareth, Autumn Montana, Simba and Violet to the Blake's massive estate in Mammoth for some much needed fun in the snow; During a romantic steam in the hot tub, Melody opens up to Gareth about some health concerns, which they are then interrupted by a surprise visitor.

**Hi everybody! I am so so so sorry that I haven't updated in almost four months! I've been swamped with every day life (I finally got my driver's license! Woo Hoo!), family, dating, etc. My nieces keep me pretty busy, not to mention my two _Chicago_ stories. Sorry if it seems like I've gotten a little George R.R. Martin on my _Walking Dead_ stories, but they WILL be finished!Thank you so much to my lovely fans for your patience, follows, favorites and reviews!**

**My FF Pinterest board is up and running! Look it up under Elana Marino on Pinterest! Also, the Wolfstone family is from my friend wolvesyroses story _Haunted_ , which is currently on TWD FF site! The cast is Ruby Rose as Ashlyn, Lana Del Ray as Beks, Wes Bentley as Jack and Max George as Dominic! Oh and Amanda Shepard is from the Grady story arc! She was the bitch police officer haha.**

**Thanks again to 6980085LMFAO, JoshuatheTerminian, pen123, Prettyprincess45 and SilverSun09, you guys are the best! :)**

**_Chapter Forty Seven: Into The Snow, Part One_ **

**_MELODY_ **

"Oh, my gosh. This is all so good, why aren't we here every night?" Tara asked as she sipped her brown butter bourbon.

"We'd probably blow up to the size of Good Year Blimps, but I must say, you'd look good with a little somethin'-somethin', T." I said with a laugh as I looked around the restaurant.

We were currently at Birch, a rustic eatery known for it's small plates and house made charcuterie. Birch lacked the ritzy-glitziness of a typical L.A. hot spot, but rather focused on bringing out simplicity, not only on their menu but their decor as well, consisting of white walls and long wood tables with an open kitchen.

They had some rather unusual dishes, like lamb baklava and charred octopus, but their unique desserts were the bomb. Tara and I were currently indulging in a sampler platter. A brownie with sticky burnt toffee pudding and sugar ice cream, along with a bombolini with chocolate pots de creme, peanut butter and jelly spring rolls, and strawberries in cream and meringue.

"You're not the only one to think so, but it's not that big of a deal what I eat. Roller derby burns an insane amount of calories."

"That's for sure." I said, spooning off some bombolini. "Aleisha and Gareth were having an ab-off in Vegas. Don't tell him, but I think her's may be a bit more defined than his."

We laughed, enjoying the ambiance. Tara and I had spent nearly every day together for four years of high school and two of community college, but now we hardly saw each other. I guess that's part of growing up.

"It's really good to see you. I feel like we haven't spent much time together lately."

"I know, you're right. My life has been such a whirlwind-"

"Hey, girls. Sorry I'm late." Beth said as she walked up, sitting down next to Tara after greeting us with hugs. "It took longer than I thought de-clawing ten kittens. Ooo, ice cream!" She squealed, grabbing a spoon.

"Ten kittens?!" Tara nearly shouted.

I waved my hand out. "It's fine, take a load off and enjoy some sweets."

"What were you saying, Melo?" Tara asked, nibbling on some brownie.

"Oh, I was saying that my life has been such a whirlwind lately I barely know which end is up or down."

She nodded. "That's true, we've all just been really busy. Aleisha and I have been prepping for the roller derby championship, not to mention I'm still working with Glenn at the comic book shop."

"I've got school and helping Daddy with the farm, and you have Gareth and Autumn Montana, Meme. Not to mention your newly inherited fame."

"That's true, but I can tell you that I've never been happier." I smiled, except for one thing made it fade away, and my friends knew exactly what it was.

"You're still worried about what will happen when Lori finds out, right?" Beth asked, to which I sadly nodded.

"Time is creeping up on me. Judith is going to be born in less than three months and that's when my whole world will come crashing down. What's terrifying me is that I don't know if I'll ever be forgiven." I could feel my eyes starting to tear up.

Lori was one of the loves of my life, next to my mom, Simba, Carl, Aiden Auerbach, Penny, Meghan, and of course now Gareth and Autumn Montana. If I lost her, I wouldn't be able to bear it. In all honesty, I would do just about anything to get back in her good graces. What sane woman wouldn't lose her shit over her sister kissing her husband?

Beth put her hand on mine. "Melody, she loves you as much as you love her, I know she'll forgive you."

Tara nodded. "I agree. It's not like you slept with him and judging by your guilt you obviously wouldn't do it again. I don't think you have anything to worry about."

I felt somewhat relieved that my friends had my back, it really meant the world to me. Even though we hadn't hung out as much the last month or so, I knew that they would always stand by me when I needed them. "I hope you're right, girls." I squeezed both their hands.

"How's Gareth been through all this?" Tara asked.

"Amazing, even though I know he's totally stressed with his own dilemmas, like how Shane screwed him over at work. His hair is actually starting to fall out, my poor babe." I pouted.

Tara shrugged. "Can't say I blame him, I wouldn't be happy if my girlfriend was to appear in a commercial with a hunk like that, either. Sorry, I know I've been a proud member of the lady pond since 2006, but Spencer is super hot. I've seen his Instagram and damn baby! Dat body, mmhmm."

"Yes, he's quite handsome, but won't it feel weird to act intimately with him again? I mean, we all saw how Gareth was over Crash."

I grabbed my hair in a ponytail and twirled it. "I know, you're totally right. Please give him the benefit of the doubt though, he was on E." My rise to fame had made me a media darling, I still wasn't sure what to think or how to feel, especially with this new commercial. What they say is true, everything comes at a price: Were these career opportunities worth the strain on the best relationship I've ever had? Plus, I wasn't willing to tell my girlfriends that my former flame had popped into my mind once or twice since the ball. "I'm hoping that this trip to Mammoth will relax us all."

Me, Gareth and Autumn Montana were set to leave tomorrow to spend the weekend at my dad's Mammoth cabin, which was more of a mini mansion than anything. It was suggested by a good friend of mine, Ashlyn Wolfstone, I was lucky enough that Lilly allowed me the keys.

We had met through Merle and Daryl, but Ashlyn was more commonly known as "Black Butterfly" or "Lord Queenpin", for she was the underground drug queen of Los Angeles, yet managed to be completely under the radar. It was another coincidence from the adult entertainment industry, because I also knew her sister Rebekah "Beks" Wolfstone through RAW Artists when she displayed her photography.

Ashlyn and Beks have two brothers, one older and one younger, and from my understanding they had a pretty rough life growing up in Seattle, but I only saw the good in them. They had all broken away from their rough upbringing and prevailed in life the best they could.

Tara pumped her fist. "Of course it will! The snow is gonna be killer, you gotta shred up those mountains, girl."

"I'm just glad to be getting out of town, but seriously, guys. This is my first trip with only Gareth and Autumn Montana, it'll be the longest that it's the three of us without anybody else around. Not going to lie, I kind of thought Beth would be the insta-mom before me."

"Awww, but you're so great with her! There's nothing to worry about, you deserve the R&R, babe. Both of you do." Beth raised up her spoon. "Here here!"

The three of us clinked our spoons together, laughing and eating for another hour. It's moments like this that are irreplaceable.

**_GARETH_ **

"Honey, I'm home!" The sound of her voice made me smile, even before she walked into the room. "I just love saying that, but I wonder if people said it before TV?"

"MELODY!" Autumn Montana hopped off the counter, nearly tripping herself to run out into the hallway.

"Be careful, sweets." I called out to her.

"Hi, baby!" Melody walked into the kitchen, holding Autumn Montana. "Are you all packed and ready for the snow tomorrow?"

"I sure am! I'm so excited! I wanna build a snowman!"

"Me too! We will, I promise." Melody gave her a kiss on the head and set her down, looking over at my mom and Carol, one grading papers and the other sketching. "Hi, Moms! I missed you!" She leaned down, giving them both hugs and kisses.

"We missed you, too. I can't even remember when the last time I saw you was." Carol said, to which Mom nodded.

"Pretty soon, it'll be less since you two are moving out." She got teary eyed, looking over at me as Carol rubbed her back.

"Mom, we're only moving five minutes away, and that's walking distance." I rolled my eyes, trying not to laugh.

"I'll miss you is all! My baby is leaving the nest."

"I've already left the nest once before, remember?"

Melody patted her shoulder. "Don't worry, Mary. I promise we'll come visit as often as we can." She looked at me and smiled, walking over. "Save the best for the last."

I opened my arms up, wrapping them around her once she walked into my embrace, nestling her head into my chest. "Hi, my love. How was dinner with the girls?"

"It was more like dessert, and it was great. Now you I missed the most." Melody pulled me down to her level, kissing me tenderly and tightening our hug.

"I missed you, too. I'm glad you had fun, it seems like we hardly get to see each other let alone our friends anymore." My hands glided up and down on her back, letting the hug linger. There was nothing in the world that beat having her in my arms.

"We've just been really busy lately. The first thing we should do after we get settled in is have a big yet intimate dinner party with all our friends and family, ok?"

"That sounds like a terrific idea, but how can it be big and intimate?"

"Hmm, good point. We'll have to figure it out. As far as us, we have the whole weekend. Aren't you excited?"

I nodded with a smile. "I'm stoked, we're going to have a killer time. Are you hungry still? The lasagna I made is just about ready."

"I love your lasagna! Trust me, we need this vacation, especially after today. I had to body paint Rosita to look like Mystique for the new _X-Rated Men_. Merle went all out, hired a whole team, it took me and five girls at least seven hours to do the whole process, we had to have Rosita straddle a unicycle."

"Unicycle?" I raised an eyebrow. "What was a unicycle randomly doing there?"

Melody shrugged. "Don't ask, I have no idea. The adult entertainment world is a strange place. All I can say is now I know what Jennifer Lawrence went through for the actual _X-Men_."

"Did I hear nude body painting?!" Alex strolled in. "Man, I would kill to be a fly on that wall! I've already seen J Law naked, her and Delilah are my spank bank babes."

Melody laughed, grabbing a water bottle from the refrigerator as I pulled out the lasagna from the oven. "Ha, you're in a committed relationship and some things never change."

"No, he'd rather do the body painting instead of watching it, but he'd probably get fired for sexual harassment."

"Hey! I'm a total gentleman!"

"That hits on his brother's girlfriend!"

"As far as I'm concerned, I'm the better kisser."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever you say, buddy."

When we were stoned a few months ago by the pool, Melody had kissed both me and my brother on a dare, but she said I was the better kisser. Therefore, I had nothing to doubt.

"How was your first day at work today, Alex?" Melody asked. Lori had gotten him a job as a director's and producer's assistant on _The Big Bang Theory_ , courtesy of her friend Paula's husband Tom.

"Urgh, grueling. Did you know Tom has "The Two Paulas"? His wife obviously and his producing partner Paula Witt, and man, that chick is a bitch on wheels. She's cool yet calculating, she totally yelled at me today for bringing her the wrong coffee even though I got exactly what she wanted."

"Just keep plowing through, Alex." Mary said. "The experience is much needed."

"Oh, I know. I'm willing to bite my tongue for my career. Not going to lie though, that fire crotch Paula is pretty hot, she's dying to bone me, I can tell."

I laughed, shaking my head. "Some things never change."

**_THE NEXT DAY_ **

"Autumn Montana, wake up, honey! We're here, we're here!" Melody shook her foot from the front seat.

Autumn Montana was unfazed until she looked out the window and saw the snow, squealing as I parked the car in the driveway. "Yay! Snow! Snow!"

While Melody and I got Autumn Montana, Simba and Violet out of the car, I was in complete awe over the wood and cobblestone cabin.

"Holy cow! Melody, this is the place?!"

She nodded, fishing the keys out of her purse. "Yep, it sure is. My dad was always too busy working to take us here, I've only been a couple times."

"Well," I wrapped my arm around her. "we can make our own memories now."

"Absolutely." Melody rested her head on my shoulder briefly before we dug out our luggage, proceeding up the stairs and inside the house. "The first floor is a separate apartment, and the house is within walking distance to Eagle Lodge, we're right on the slopes."

If I thought the outside was fantastic, it was even better inside. The house was three stories and geo thermally heated, with balconies in every room, but my favorite was probably the master bedroom that wrapped around and gave a panoramic view of the whole mountain.

There was a game room with beanbag chairs, a pool table, XBOX and Pac Man game system, not to mention a flat screen TV in every room, a state of the art kitchen, king sized bed in the master bedroom and a private stone Jacuzzi with a waterfall.

"Babe, this house is insane!"

Melody gave me a funny look as I came in the kitchen, but smiled. "I really love how you're still not used to this kind of lifestyle, it's so unpretentious of you. Ben would have to boast and brag about every single little thing. Can you believe I was with that limp dick asshole for so long?"

"I'm as real as they get. It may be boring, but I know who I am."

"It's almost hard to believe I went from riches to rags, I never thought it would happen. It's scary, Gare."

"Well, you're stronger because of it, you and Charlotte. Plus, there's nothing to worry about, lightning doesn't strike twice."

Life growing up for me wasn't so easy, which is why I was scared that my recent success could come to an end, and I knew Melody still had apprehensions about what happened to Charlotte happening again. Luckily, I had invested well and saved, so it was my plan to prevent any kind of financial downfall.

"Daddy, we're ready!"

Autumn Montana came in with Violet and Simba bundled in their sweaters and hats. She ran up, grabbing me and Melody by the hand.

"Come on, come on, I wanna build a snowman!"

* * *

 

"There! It's perfect!" Autumn Montana clapped her hands, squealing at the Olaf snowman we had made.

We had been playing outside for the past hour, it was currently snowing and there was nothing but white land for miles and miles, it truly was a winter wonderland. After sledding and making snow angels, it was time for a snowman.

"That smushed cone head wasn't easy, I'll tell you that." I wiped the sweat off of my forehead, all that rolling and padding was a lot of work.

"You ready to put the face on, A.M.?" Melody asked.

"Yes!"

Melody picked her up and handed her the carrot nose after putting on the eyes, twig eyebrows and teeth. "Now, you gotta push it in so it sticks or else it'll fall out."

"Gotcha!" Autumn Montana shoved the nose in a bit too hard, causing it to impale through the back of the head, just like Olaf's nose in the movie.

"Uh-oh. Not too hard, ok? We don't want Daddy to have to make another one." Melody pulled the nose further until it was at the right length. "Now, we've got it."

"I love him!" Autumn Montana jumped out of Melody's arms and gave the snowman a hug.

"Ok, it's selfie time! Violet, Simba, come here!"

The little piglet and golden retriever trotted over, circling around Olaf to get to us. We crowded in as Melody lifted the selfie stick, smiling as she pressed the button.

"Let's do a funny face!"

Autumn Montana pulled her mouth to the sides and stuck her tongue out, I crossed my eyes and Melody made a wide eyed pucker face. The pictures were priceless, I could only imagine the comments they would get.

"This is so great, Melody. Thank you."

Melody raised an eyebrow as we stood up, trying not to laugh. "Why are you thanking me? You're my family, this will be yours one day, also. Besides, we needed a get away, don't you think?"

I nodded. "Without a doubt." I leaned in to kiss her but was cut off when a snowball hit me in the arm.

We looked over to see Autumn Montana giggling madly as her arms were stuffed with snowballs.

"Sorry, Daddy."

Melody surprised me with a snowball on top of my beanie before giggling off to join Autumn Montana. I smiled wickedly, picking up some snow and dodging the balls flying towards me.

"Hey, you two just messed with the snowball king."

**_HOURS LATER_ **

**_MELODY_ **

"You know, I don't get why you felt the need to cover up. I've had you naked in both of our beds, Melody." Gareth said as I set the towels down. "Not to mention my living room couch, my shower, Carl's bed, Rick and Lori's bed, Rick and Lori's shower, Rick and Lori's entryway, Rick and Lori's kitchen, the Playboy villa master in Vegas, your dad's office, your dad and Lilly's bed, and-"

"Ok, ok, we get the point. Brag alert, much?" I put my hair in a cute ponytail, glad that he was unable to see the smile on my face while I undid the sash.

After our snowball fight, the three of us retreated inside the house for lunch and spent the rest of the afternoon watching Disney movies. After feeding Autumn Montana chicken nuggets and put her to bed, Gareth and I enjoyed an outstanding chicken shrimp Fra Diavolo that was to die for. Now, with an '84 cabernet and same cake shooters, we were set to enjoy the epic rock waterfall jacuzzi in the master bathroom.

"Besides, I have to keep you on your toes and leave something to the imagination somehow, Gareth."

My smile still intact, I turned around and let the robe fall off of me, flaunting my black Victoria Secret's bikini with a rhinestoned skull and crossbones on the right breast and the butt that I hadn't worn since the last time I weighed this much.

Seeing Gareth's eyes bulge and his mouth fly open definitely was an indicator that I looked pretty damn sexy. With a flip of my ponytail, I made my way towards him, trying everything not to strut as he undressed me with his hungry eyes.

"Be careful, you don't want crickets in your mouth, do you?" I tapped his chin to shut his mouth.

"N-n-no. Wow, that's super sexy, Melody. If you wore that every day, I'd be the happiest man in the whole wide world."

"And here I thought you already were." I grabbed Gareth's hand as he helped me inside the jacuzzi, instantly relaxing the moment I sat down in the water.

"Of course I am, how could I not be?" He wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me onto his lap. "I have everything I've ever wanted. What could go wrong?"

"Actually," I swallowed the lump forming in my throat. "There's about to be a snag in our perfect plans for the future."

His smile disappeared. "What is it? Is everything ok?"

"I've been concerned for a while about my body irregularities, so I finally went to see an endocrinologist. The one I told you about, Dr. Amanda Shepard."

Lori and I both suffered from gruesome periods. Not only are we incredibly temperamental with our emotions, the first few days are so heavy that I can barely move out of bed. For years, my mom had suspected it was some kind of hormonal imbalance from my father's side.

"And? What did she say?"

"That I need to get blood work and an ultrasound done. I might have something called Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, which makes it difficult to get pregnant. Seven vials of blood were taken and my ultrasound went fine but the technician thinks that I might have a polyp on my ovary. I'll know the results next week, after the commercial wraps."

Gareth blinked and I could have sworn his face went a shade whiter than usual. "Oh, my god. Mel, why didn't you tell me?"

I took a deep breath, not wanting to cry, but I was kind of scared. "I didn't want to freak you out, that's why. I'm freaked out myself. What if it's cancerous or I can't get pregnant?" I started hyperventilating. "All I've ever wanted was a cute little baby, especially since we started getting serious. I'm sorry, Gareth. I can't give you a baby and I'm probably going to turn into the next Heisenberg but a girl!"

I buried my head in the nook of his shoulder and started crying. All I could picture was Baby Hunter Forrester or Baby Khaleesi Katniss, with my smile and Gareth's eyes, might not ever happen.

"Hey, hey." Gareth shushed, wrapping his arms around my shoulders, twirling my ponytail gently. "There there, now. It's going to be ok."

"How?" I pulled back, wiping my eyes. "What if I can't-"

He shook his head. "You're getting ahead of yourself and expecting the worst. Everything is going to be alright. I'm coming with you to this appointment so we can find out what's going on. If worse comes to worse, we can check out a fertility specialist, but we shouldn't give up before already failing."

**_GARETH_ **

While I was a bit freaked, I was more concerned about Melody's overall health and wellbeing than her fertility. What's worse was that she felt like she had to hide this from me.

"We'll get through this together. Now," I pulled away, wiping her tears. "how about I help take your mind off of things?" I smirked as my swift fingers untied her bikini bottoms, making her laugh. "Oops."

"You're such a scoundrel, Gareth! But I love it."

She passionately kissed me while undoing my board shorts, her hands moving up my neck. The combination of the jacuzzi's heat and the cold outside was enough to make me very relaxed and stimulated.

"God, I missed you so much. I can't even remember the last time we had sex."

"I know, me too. You feel so amazing, so tight and warm."

We continued kissing as she rolled her hips on me, my fingernails digging into her flesh. This was exactly what I needed.

**_*DING DONG* DING DONG*_ **

I groaned once the doorbell started ringing and Melody pulled away. "Damn! Who could that be?"

Melody shrugged, the doorbell continuing. "I don't know, but I should probably go check it out."

I shook my head, not wanting her to leave. "No, don't. I will. What if it's some creepy hitchhiker ax-murderer?"

"You've been watching too many horror movies. It's totally fine, this is a safe neighborhood and I can handle myself."

She got up, tying her bikini bottoms as she stepped out, throwing on her silk robe and UGG slippers.

I was a little apprehensive about her going, but after the way she handled Martin and Philip, I knew Melody could handle herself. I had just started to submerge myself in the relaxing waters when I heard a shout.

"Gareth!"

Panic fueled, I jumped up the second I heard her call my name, barely remembering to tie a towel around my waist. When I raced downstairs, the sight I saw left me with mixed emotions. I wasn't sure whether to roll my eyes or crackup.

Alex was standing in the entryway, his arms wrapped around Melody's bare waist (her robe must have fallen off somehow) and his head buried in between her breasts as he openly sobbed while she stoked his hair.

"Awww, Alex! It's ok, everything is going to be fine."

She wrapped her other arm around him as he cried harder, looking over at me with a confused look on her face.

My brother wasn't one to cry, so obviously something horrible happened, I just hoped our family was safe and sound.


End file.
